Rodgers in hometown after long road back

Righthander Brady Rodgers, who was called up Tuesday from Class AAA Round Rock to take the injured Collin McHugh’s spot on the Astros’ roster, said his return to his hometown team might be even more special than his debut in 2016.

Rodgers, 28, a graduate of Lamar Consolidated High School who was drafted by the Astros in 2012, has been on the comeback trail since undergoing Tommy John surgery in May 2017. He was 4-0 in seven starts at Round Rock with 32 strikeouts in 442⁄3 innings.

Rodgers, who threw 152⁄3 innings in five games in 2016 for the Astros, will provide flexibility in the bullpen as a long reliever if needed but said he’s ready to fill any role demanded of him.

“This is special not only for myself but my family,” he said. “It has been a long road (back from surgery), and I’m happy to be able to put on an Astros uniform again.”

Rodgers got the word of his call-up after the Express wrapped up an extra-inning game late Monday night. After manager Mickey Storey announced he was being called up, Rodgers received the traditional dunking via water bottles from his teammates — “a special moment,” he said.

He said he called his wife, Virginia, and his parents with the news and then scrambled with his wife to pack up their year-old son and their belongings in Round Rock for the drive to Houston.

Rodgers said his family will attend Wednesday’s game to soak in his return to the big leagues.

“I have a family now and a son, and I’m coming back from a pretty serious injury,” he said. “When you have surgery like that, you never know if you’re going to come back to being the same or worse or better. I think I was able to come back the same, if not better.”

Manager A.J. Hinch said the front office felt Rodgers was the best alternative to step in while McHugh recovers from a sore right elbow that resulted in his being placed on the 10-day injured list.

“We have used a lot of our bullpen recently with some fiveinning starts, so middle relief to long relief to situationally where he can eat up some innings, his role is going to be ever-changing,” Hinch said.