Odorizzi returns after two weeks
OAKLAND, Calif. — The Astros activated Jake Odorizzi ahead of his start Sunday afternoon against the A’s, marking Odorizzi’s return from a 13-day stint on the injured list.
Odorizzi, who allowed four hits and one run and struck out two in four innings and 84 pitches on Sunday, sprained his right foot while covering first base during his Sept. 13 start against the Rangers and was placed on the injured list the following day.
He missed a couple turns in the Astros rotation while sidelined, but before the injury, he posted a 2.78 ERA (10 earned runs, 321⁄3 innings pitched) in his last seven outings.
To clear a roster spot for Odorizzi, the Astros optioned reliever Seth Martinez to the taxi squad. Martinez made his MLB debut last week in Anaheim as the first of three appearances for the Astros during their seven-game road trip, allowing a total of five earned runs over three innings.
Ivey, Báez work their way back
Astros pitchers Tyler Ivey and Pedro Báez are continuing their minor league rehab assignments with Class AAA Sugar Land this week.
Both pitchers made their Astros debuts this season — Ivey his MLB debut — but their time with the club was shortlived with injuries.
Ivey, on the injured list since Aug. 2 with right elbow soreness, started his rehab assignment with FCL Astros, then made his first rehab appearance with Sugar Land on Sunday at El Paso.
He opened the game and allowed three unearned runs in 1 ⁄3 innings.
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Báez, on the IL since Aug. 22 with right shoulder soreness, made his second injury rehab appearance with Sugar Land on Saturday night, tossing two-thirds of an inning and 28 pitches while allowing two runs.
Skeeters fall, but Hinojosa has hit
Second-inning errors by Sugar Land first baseman Korey Lee and third baseman Pedro Leon contributed to three unearned runs that propelled the El Paso Chihuahuas to a 6-2 home victory Sunday night, their third straight win over the Skeeters.
The Skeeters’ CJ Hinojosa went 1-for-4 to extend his hitting streak to 20 games, the longest active streak in minor league baseball.
Marty Costes drove in both Sugar Land runs on a fourth-inning double.
Odds and ends
Zack Greinke (neck soreness) threw a bullpen session Sunday in Oakland. He is eligible for reactivation on Friday. He is scheduled to throw another bullpen Tuesday and might pitch for Sugar Land after that. … Astros manager Dusty Baker offered this when asked for an update on left fielder Michael Brantley (knee): “He’s hit a couple times, and then he went out to field one time, and it really didn’t work, and right now he’s getting mostly treatment so he can go to work.” … Shortstop Carlos Correa got the day off Sunday after playing the previous 10 days in a row.