Odorizzi scheduled for debut against Tigers
Veteran starting pitcher Jake Odorizzi is scheduled to join the Astros rotation on Tuesday against the Detroit Tigers in Minute Maid Park. He signed with the Astros two weeks into spring training and has needed additional time to prepare for his big-league season debut.
Odorizzi, 31, started an exhibition game in Round Rock on Thursday against the Texas Rangers’ alternate training site players, and allowed five hits and three earned runs over 5 2⁄3 innings.
“It’s been a weird time for me … just showing up late and going to a different site than the rest of the players,” said Odorizzi, who has played for Kansas City, Tampa Bay and Minnesota since 2012. “… I’m getting my bearings (in Houston).”
Odorizzi was an All-Star in 2019 for the Twins but spent much of last year on the injured list. He has a 62-56 career record.
Astros manager Dusty Baker said following Saturday’s loss to the Athletics that the Astros have sent starter Cristian Javier to the club’s alternate site to make room for Odorizzi. Javier has thrown 8 2⁄3 innings in two starts and is 1-0 with a 2.08 ERA.
“Much to our regret we had to send Javier to the alternate site because he wasn’t going to pitch for a few days,” Baker said. “We’re just trying to build him back up to where he was, so he can get his endurance and go more than five innings … with all of the off days we have here (upcoming between series) he wasn’t going to pitch for a few days.
“We’ll build him back up so he can pitch the series against (the Los Angeles Angels) when they come back to town.”
The Angels, who are contending with the Astros for the AL West lead early in the season, will visit Minute Maid Park for a four-game series starting April 22. Between now and then, the Astros are expected to roll with a fourman starting rotation of Zack Greinke, Lance McCullers Jr., Jose Urquidy and Odorizzi.
Bregman getting extra time to rest
Dudsty Baker saw an opportunity to give third baseman Alex Bregman two straight days off by sitting Bregman in Saturday’s series finale against the A’s. The Astros have a rare Sunday off, and Baker said Bregman was dealing with sore legs eight games into the season.
“We’ve got to take care of him,” Baker said. “… He’s been playing a lot, and I decided it would be best to give him (Saturday) off because his legs are a little sore.”
Bregman has played in seven of the Astros’ nine games and is hitting .310 with two home runs. Aledmys Diaz started in Bregman’s place on Saturday and was 1-for-3 with a single in the fourth inning. He also lined out twice to second base and was hit by a pitch.
Paredes placed on injured list
Dusty Baker said the club is taking every precaution with reliever Enoli
Paredes, who was placed on the 10-day injured list on Friday with right side soreness.
“We caught it before it became major,” Dusty Baker said of what exactly is ailing Paredes. “It will still be a couple of weeks and a few days before he starts throwing — you don’t want to make it worse or (for it to) be chronic.”
Near return, Baez out with soreness
Reliever Pedro Baez was placed on the 10-day injured list with right (throwing) shoulder soreness — straight from the COVID injured list. As part of the COVID list, Baez did not count against the 40man roster.
He does now on the 10-day injured list, meaning reliever Austin Pruitt, a College Park High graduate, heads to the 60-day injured list to make room. Pruitt had elbow surgery in the offseason.
“(Baez) was trying to do too much too soon,” Dusty Baker said of Baez coming off the COVID list. “He (had) minor shoulder soreness, so we had to back him off from throwing for a few days.”
Altuve moves up on multihit list
Jose Altuve’s double in the bottom of the seventh on Saturday gave him 463 multi-hit games, pushing him one ahead of Cesar Cedeno to fourth on the Astros’ all-time list. Craig Biggo leads the way with 841 multi-hit games, and is followed by Jeff Bagwell (622) and Jose Cruz (541).