Right-handed Astros Spencer Arrighetti headed to the injured list with a right foot nerve irritation, the team announced. The liberator Bryan King he returns to the senior team to take his place.
Arrighetti was pulled from last night’s outing after a lackluster first inning. The White Sox sent all nine batters to the plate and pushed across three runs. Arrighetti gave up just two hits, but walked two and hit two batters, including one to force in a run.
Houston used six relievers to pitch the final eight innings against Chicago. The bullpen allowed just two runs, allowing the Astros to come back from a tough situation and win the game. AJ Blubaugh again Kai-Wei Teng followed Arrighetti with two innings each. They are probably the top two candidates to replace him.
Teng was part-time in his first year at the club. He was much better as a reliever, with a 2.22 ERA over 15 appearances compared to a 5.52 mark in 10 starts. Blubaugh has a respectable 3.74 ERA with over a strikeout per inning in 39 relief appearances. He usually pitches more innings, but has gone longer than just two innings since early June. Teng is definitely extended now.
Arrighetti did not break camp with the team, but entered the rotation in mid-April. He opened his campaign with eight games that looked very good but never lasted. The righty carried a 1.34 ERA in June, fueled by a .210 BABIP and an 89.3% left-on-base rate. Arrighetti had a 4.92 SIERA and 5.11 xFIP over those first eight appearances.
The recession hit hard in June. Arrighetti was hammered with 25 earned runs in 25 innings. His ERA jumped to 4.00 and has continued to rise. His current mark of 4.60 looks good, as he may not be as bad as he has been recently, but he was clearly in over his head to open the year.
Arrighetti was often on the injured list last season. He missed nearly two months of the summer with a thumb injury after being hit by a ball during batting practice. Arrighetti missed time with a groin injury in September. Elbow inflammation ended his season after starting seven games. His timing of the foot issue is unclear. Houston’s actions at the trade deadline could mean how long the club expects to be without Arrighetti.
King was delisted in time Bennett Sousa came back from 60 day IL earlier this week. He will rejoin the Astros after making just one appearance in Triple-A. The lefty threw a scoreless frame at Sugar Land on Wednesday. King has had a solid season for Houston as of late. He collected six saves and 12 holds as a key senior, but was tagged in eight earned runs in his last four games before being demoted.
Photo courtesy of Matt Marton, Imagn Images
