Urquidy could be back before September
José Urquidy’s return to the Astros’ starting rotation seems imminent, leaving manager Dusty Baker and pitching coach Brent Strom with a slew of intriguing September decisions.
Sidelined since June 29 with right shoulder soreness, Urquidy is scheduled to throw five innings on Tuesday for Class AAA Sugar Land against Oklahoma City at Constellation Field. Presuming all goes well, Urquidy said he will make another start with the Skeeters on Sunday, after which he hopes to be activated.
Urquidy threw a bullpen session at Minute Maid Park before Sunday’s series finale against the Mariners. He made his first minor league rehab appearance in a game last week at the team’s spring training complex in West Palm Beach, Fla., tossing three innings and 50 total pitches.
“I didn’t feel discomfort,” Urquidy said Sunday. “I was trying to throw the baseball normal, trying to feel good feelings in my shoulder and my body. I feel great. I threw three innings without discomfort.”
Urquidy first combated shoulder soreness in midMay but missed only two weeks. During this recurrence, Urquidy said he received a platelet rich plasma injection that prolonged his rehab and caused an absence of almost two months.
Urquidy’s return could allow the team to deploy a six-man rotation in September.
It begins a stretch of 17 consecutive games on Sept. 10. Assuming Urquidy completes his two starts at Sugar Land without incident, he’d be eligible to return Aug. 30.
A six-man rotation also could assist in monitoring rookie Luis Garcia’s career-high workload. His 1162⁄3 innings already are more than he’d ever thrown in any professional season. He has not thrown more than 90 pitches in any of his past seven starts.
Garcia’s scaled back workload coupled with Jake Odorizzi’s ineffectiveness leaves the team with, essentially, two fiveinning starters. Odorizzi hasn’t thrown more than 52⁄3 innings in any of his past seven starts.
The Astros could add another arm to absorb some of the leftover innings when rosters expand to 28 on Sept. 1. Baker did not want to prematurely commit to any rotation alignment.
“(Urquidy) has to come back first,” Baker said. “Then when he comes back we’ll start thinking about it the closer it gets. I certainly want him back as soon as possible, but I don’t want him back to only go four or five innings because that puts pressure on my bullpen. I’ve already got two guys that are kind of five-inning guys. We need a seven-inning guy — potentially a seveninning guy.”
McCormick still out of the lineup
Chas McCormick remained out of the Astros’ lineup Sunday with a left hand injury sustained during batting practice Saturday.
McCormick, whom Baker labeled “day to day,” does not have any broken bones. With the Astros leading 2-1, he entered Sunday’s game in the ninth inning to play right field. But after the Mariners tied it, Jason Castro pinch-hit for McCormick in the 10th.
Fellow outfielder Kyle Tucker could return to the club “hopefully midweek,” Baker said. Tucker went on the injured list because of health and safety protocols Aug. 14 and has not been around the club.
The team refuses to divulge anything further about Tucker’s ailment, but Baker said Sunday he is feeling fine.
Bregman leads off in rehab start
Alex Bregman played a full nine innings, led off and went 1-for-4 with a double and a walk in the Sugar Land Skeeters’ 8-4 loss to the Oklahoma City Dodgers on Sunday at Constellation Field.
It was Bregman’s second rehab appearance in three days as he works his way back from a quad injury sustained June 16 against the Rangers.
Brett Conine started and took the loss for the Skeeters (52-41), allowing eight runs (five earned) on six hits with three walks and two strikeouts over six innings.
Edwin Uceta got the win for Oklahoma City (49-44), striking out three and walking one while allowing one run and one hit over three innings.