Arm soreness leaves Greinke’s status in limbo
LOS ANGELES — Zack Greinke is experiencing arm soreness, Astros manager Dusty Baker revealed after Tuesday’s win in Game 2 of the American League Division Series, casting doubt over the righthander’s availability for the remainder of the postseason.
Baker did not have any specifics about Greinke’s injury. The veteran saw doctors recently, according to Baker, but results from their evaluation were not back yet. Jose Urquidy was scheduled to start Game 3 against A’s lefty Jesus Luzardo.
After Game 2 concluded, Greinke played catch and threw around 20 flat- ground pitches in right field at Dodger Stadium. Pitching coach Brent Strom observed the entire workout, but no trainers were spotted. Greinke and Strom engaged in a long conversation along the outfield wall after the workout was complete.
That the Astros included Greinke on their ALDS roster suggests the soreness was not discovered or reported until recently. Greinke threw in the outfield during Sunday’s workout day at Dodger Stadium. Astros catcher Martin Maldonado said he did not even learn of Greinke’s injury until checking Twitter in the training room after Game 2.
“It’s a huge blow for us,” Maldonado said. “He’s a guy that’s going to go out and compete every pitch, but I don’t know what the next step is.”
Greinke did not garner a start in either of the first two games of the Astros’ ALDS matchup against the A’s. He had a 6.08 ERA in his final five regular-season starts, which Baker said Sunday contributed to the team’s decision to bypass Greinke for Games 1 and 2.
After naming Urquidy as the team’s Game 3 starter Tuesday, Baker acknowledged Greinke was “not right.”
“(Greinke) didn’t say much about it, but it’s pretty evident the last three or four starts that he wasn’t himself,” Baker said.
“Urquidy’s been dealing, so that was an easy choice, especially with Greinke ailing”
Greinke did not finish six innings in any of his last four starts. He threw just four innings in Game 1 of the Astros’ wild- card series against the Minnesota Twins, but his premature exit was planned before the game as part of a piggyback plan with Framber Valdez.
Still, Greinke appeared shaky. He threw only 46 of his 79 pitches for strikes and walked three hitters.
Losing Greinke for any amount of time would deal a crippling blow to an Astros rotation already reeling from the loss of ace Justin Verlander. Greinke is a six-time All-Star and former Cy Young winner, a player acquired in July 2019 solely to make Houston’s rotation the best in the sport.
Now, doubt looms as to whether he’s available at all. The emergence of Valdez and Urquidy, along with Lance McCullers Jr.’s presence, affords the team a stable top three. Cristian Javier can fill in as a fourth starter, but Baker threw him for 25 pitches in Game 1 out of the bullpen.
Urquidy could solve all the sudden uncertainty with a stellar start in Game 3.
“I don’t feel any extra pressure,” Urquidy said. “I’m just focused on what I have to do tomorrow and what I have to do to be successful.”