Houston Astros call up minor league player to replace injured starter

Before the trade deadline on July 30, the Houston Astros must decide which direction they will take amid their disappointing season.

General manager Dana Brown insisted they won’t be sellers, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they will be buyers.

Owner Jim Crane gave the Astros the green light to join the luxury tax, but after releasing Jose Abreu and still owing him tons of money without having him on this roster, it’s unclear how much they want to be aggressive for the second half.

If they want to become buyers, then starting projects seems like the obvious target.

Without Cristian Javier and Jose Urquidy in the mix for the rest of the year, this group is thin until Luis Garcia and Lance McCullers Jr. return from injuries after the All-Star break.

Waiting for, Chandler Rome Athleticism reports that they have selected the contract of Triple-A pitcher Luis Contreras and moved Cristian Javier to the 60-day IL in order to make room on the 40-man roster. Nick Hernandez was recently sent to the minors, so Contreras takes his place.

Houston signed the 28-year-old to a minor league contract this offseason and he has been phenomenal at the Triple-A level, posting a 1.40 ERA in 19 appearances with a .171 opponent’s batting average.

Originally signed by the Milwaukee Brewers as an international free agent from Venezuela in 2019, Contreras was unable to break through and make his Major League debut, so if he appears in a game with the Astros, this will be his first time. in the show.

He is expected to become a middle reliever and will look to stabilize some things in the Houston bullpen.