Astros' Jose Urquidy: Gets start for Game 4 of ALCS
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Urquidy will start Game 4 of the ALCS on Thursday against the Rangers, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
After coming into the postseason with the expectation of working out of the bullpen, Urquidy was granted a start against the Twins in Game 4 of the ALDS and gave up two runs over 5.2 innings. He'll now take the mound for another Game 4 and look to keep quiet a Rangers offense that has slashed .202/.269/.364 through the first three games of the ALCS.
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Astros' Jose Urquidy: Starting Game 4
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Urquidy will start Wednesday against the Twins in Game 4 of the ALDS, Julia Morales of AT&T SportsNet Southwest reports.
Urquidy seemed to be slated for a bullpen role ahead of Houston's ALDS matchup with Minnesota, but he'll instead get the nod to start as the Astros looks for their seventh consecutive ALCS berth. The 28-year-old righty threw nine straight shutout innings over his final two regular-season outings and has yet to appear in the postseason.
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Astros' Jose Urquidy: Likely in bullpen role for ALDS
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Astros general manager Dana Brown said Thursday that Urquidy will likely work out of the bullpen during the ALDS against the Twins, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
Urquidy was tremendous in a spot start on the third-to-last day of the regular season, working six scoreless innings in a win over the Diamondbacks, but the Astros have already announced that Justin Verlander and Framber Valdez will start ALDS Games 1 and 2, with Cristian Javier looking probable for Game 3. J.P. France and Hunter Brown could also be in bullpen roles for Houston's best-of-five series versus Minnesota.
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Astros' Jose Urquidy: Does well in spot start
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Urquidy (3-3) earned the win Friday over the Diamondbacks, allowing two hits and three walks while striking out two over six scoreless innings.
He made the spot start after J.P. France was scratched due to a family emergency. This was Urquidy's first start since Aug. 23 -- he'd allowed 11 runs over 14.1 innings across his last five appearances, all coming in relief. For the season, he's struggled to a 5.29 ERA, 1.43 WHIP and 45:25 K:BB through 63 innings across 16 outings (10 starts). Urquidy will likely resume his bullpen role if the Astros are able to secure a playoff spot.
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Astros' Jose Urquidy: Draws spot start Friday
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Urquidy will start Friday's game at Chase Field in Arizona, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
J.P. France has been scratched from the start due to a family emergency, so Urquidy gets the call for what will be his first start since Aug. 23. The 28-year-old right-hander has allowed 11 earned runs over his last 14.1 innings while working in long relief.
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Astros' Jose Urquidy: Will remain in bullpen
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Astros manager Dusty Baker said Wednesday that Urquidy will remain in the bullpen "as of right now," Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Urquidy earned his first career save Monday versus the Red Sox while working in long relief behind Cristian Javier. Framber Valdez is starting Wednesday's series finale in Boston and then it'll be Justin Verlander, Hunter Brown and Javier in Houston's three-game weekend set against the Yankees. J.P. France is lined up for Monday's series opener on the road against the Rangers.
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Astros' Jose Urquidy: Earns first career save
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Urquidy pitched out of the bullpen in Monday's 13-5 win over the Red Sox, earning his first career save after allowing one run on four hits and two walks over four innings. He struck out one batter.
Urquidy has now been used out of the bullpen in two of his last three appearances, though the Astros haven't yet confirmed that the rotation is being condensed from six to five men. After Cristian Javier labored through four innings, Urquidy ended up being called upon to effectively piggyback him. Urquidy threw 57 pitches and forced seven swinging strikes en route to picking up the save. He now owns a 5.21 ERA and a 36:18 K:BB through 46.2 frames, and those poor numbers along with the uncertainty regarding his role make him difficult to justify holding outside of deeper leagues or AL-only formats.
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Astros' Jose Urquidy: Labors through start
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Urquidy allowed four runs on eight hits and three walks while striking out one over 4.2 innings in a no-decision versus the Red Sox on Wednesday.
Urquidy needed 100 pitches (61 strikes) in this appearance, which came after his last outing was a two-inning relief stint against the Mariners on Friday. The right-hander has struggled to get in form this season -- this was the fourth time in 10 appearances he's allowed at least four runs. He's at a 5.48 ERA, 1.52 WHIP and 35:16 K:BB through 42.2 innings. Urquidy is tentatively lined up for a road rematch in Boston next week if the Astros continue to roll out a six-man rotation.
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Astros' Jose Urquidy: Available in relief Friday
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Urquidy will be available out of the bullpen Friday against the Mariners, Danielle Lerner of the Houston Chronicle reports.
The Astros are currently rolling with a six-man rotation and Urquidy won't be needed to make a start in their three-game weekend series versus Seattle. A short relief outing could act as a between-starts throw day before he slots back into the rotation early next week against the Red Sox.
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Astros' Jose Urquidy: Bounces back with seven strikeouts
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Urquidy (2-3) suffered the loss Sunday against the Angels but pitched well, allowing one run on three hits and no walks while striking out seven over five innings.
The lone run scored against Urquidy came off an RBI double from Mickey Moniak in the third inning. The Astros were unable to deliver much offensive production Sunday, leaving Urquidy in line for an unlucky loss. The 28-year-old struck out a season-high seven batters and registered 15 whiffs while gearing up to 80 pitches. Astros pitching coach Josh Miller said Urquidy was capped at 90 pitches, so it seems likely he'll be stretched out enough to potentially go six-plus innings in his next start , which is tentatively lined up to be against the Mariners this weekend.
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Astros' Jose Urquidy: Struggles in return
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Urquidy did not factor into the decision Sunday, allowing five runs on three hits and three walks over 3.1 innings against the Yankees. He struck out one.
Making his first start since April, Urquidy held the Yankees to one run through his first three innings before running out of steam in the fourth, when he allowed four more runs before departing the contest. Through seven starts this season, Urquidy is 2-2 with a 6.10 with a 1.58 WHIP and 24:13 K:BB across 31 innings. The Astros will look for more length out of the 28-year-old Urquidy in his next outing, currently scheduled for next week against the Angels.
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Astros' Jose Urquidy: Reinstated for Sunday's start
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Urquidy (shoulder) was activated from the 60-day injured list ahead of his start against the Yankees on Sunday.
The right-hander has been sidelined by shoulder issues since late April and will make his return to MLB action for Sunday's series finale in New York. Urquidy threw 76 pitches across five innings during his final minor-league rehab start, so he'll likely still face some minor workload limitations in his first start back. J.P. France is expected to be available as a piggyback option.
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Astros' Jose Urquidy: Confirmed for Sunday return
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Astros manager Dusty Baker confirmed Friday that Urquidy (shoulder) will return from the 60-day injured list and start Sunday versus the Yankees, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
J.P. France is set up for piggyback relief duties and will likely stay in the Astros bullpen moving forward. Urquidy surrendered five earned runs on nine hits over five innings in his final rehab start last Sunday at Triple-A Sugar Land, but he seems fully recovered from the bout of shoulder inflammation that sent him to the injured list in early May.
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Astros' Jose Urquidy: Likely to return Sunday
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Urquidy (shoulder) is tentatively scheduled to return from the 60-day injured list to start Sunday versus the Yankees, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
Urquidy first has to make it through one final bullpen session, but he's knocking on the door for a return after missing all of May, June and July because of shoulder inflammation. The 28-year-old right-hander struggled in his fourth and final rehab start last weekend at Triple-A Sugar Land, yielding five earned runs on nine hits over five innings, but he threw 76 pitches in that outing and 56 of them went for strikes. He could touch 90 pitches in his first start back with Houston.
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Astros' Jose Urquidy: Gives up nine hits in rehab start
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Urquidy (shoulder) covered five innings and allowed five runs on nine hits and no walks while striking out three in his rehab start Sunday for Triple-A Sugar Land.
The Astros probably wanted to see a stronger showing from Urquidy in what was likely his fourth and final rehab start at Sugar Land, but there were some silver linings from the outing. Only one of the nine hits he allowed went for extra bases, and the right-hander was able to build up his pitch count to 76 while consistently throwing strikes throughout the day. Assuming he experiences no setbacks with his shoulder coming out of a bullpen session in the next day or two, Urquidy should be cleared to return from the 60-day injured list to make his first start for Houston since April 30. He tentatively lines up for a return to the big-league rotation this weekend on the road versus the Yankees.
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Astros' Jose Urquidy: Making final rehab start Sunday
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Urquidy (shoulder) will make his fourth and final minor-league rehab start Sunday for Double-A Corpus Christi, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
This lines him up to return to the Astros' rotation Aug. 4 in Yankee Stadium. The right-hander built up to 53 pitches in his rehab outing Tuesday, tossing four scoreless innings with one hit allowed and four strikeouts. Urquidy wasn't pitching particularly well before the injury (5.20 ERA), with home runs being his downfall on a number of occasions, but he will likely have streaming appeal here and there down the stretch.
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Astros' Jose Urquidy: Builds up to three innings on rehab
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Urquidy (shoulder) tossed three innings in his most recent rehab start Wednesday with Triple-A Sugar Land, striking out two while allowing two earned runs on four hits and one walk.
Urquidy spotted 29 of his 45 pitches for strikes in the second outing of his rehab assignment as he gets stretched back out again after having been sidelined since the beginning of May with right shoulder inflammation. The 28-year-old will shift his rehab to Double-A Corpus Christi on Tuesday for his third rehab start, and he'll most likely require an additional outing after that before returning from the 60-day injured list. Brandon Bielak would seem to be most at risk of losing his spot in the Houston rotation once Urquidy is deemed ready to go.
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Astros' Jose Urquidy: Return slated for early August
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Urquidy (shoulder) is expected to return to the Astros' rotation in early August, MLB.com reports.
Urquidy made his second rehab start with Triple-A Sugar Land on Wednesday, and he worked three innings while throwing 45 pitches. He'll now head to Double-A Corpus Christi, with his next outing slated for four innings. Urquidy's final rehab outing will come July 30, with the goal of completing five frames. That would put him in line to return to the big-league rotation at some point during Houston's weekend series against the Yankees from Aug. 3-6.
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Astros' Jose Urquidy: Making rehab start Friday
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Urquidy (shoulder) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Sugar Land on Friday, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
Urquidy threw live batting practice Sunday without any issues in what was his final hurdle to clear before pitching in a rehab game. The right-hander has been sidelined since early May with shoulder inflammation, so he would figure to require at least a couple rehab outings before rejoining the Astros' rotation.
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Astros' Jose Urquidy: To face hitters Sunday
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Urquidy (shoulder) is scheduled to throw live batting practice Sunday in Houston, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
Yordan Alvarez (oblique) will be among the batters standing in against Urquidy, who's been on the shelf since May 1 due to a bad case of right shoulder inflammation. If all goes well during Sunday's workout, Urquidy could be cleared to head out on a minor-league rehab assignment sometime next week. He's on track to return to the Astros' rotation around mid-to-late July.
