The Houston Astros made a slew of roster moves on Friday afternoon ahead of their matchup with the Baltimore Orioles. Most notably, the Astros placed one of their top relievers on the injured list and made room to bring up a starting pitcher returning from injury.
Houston placed reliever Bennett Sousa on the 15-day IL with “left elbow inflammation,” according to The Athletic’s Chandler Rome.
Rome also reported the Astros optioned pitcher Logan VanWey to Triple-A Sugar Land to clear a spot on the 26-man roster for Lance McCullers Jr., who will start in Friday night’s game.
What Does the Astros Roster Look Like Now?
Sousa had been one of the Astros’ best relievers this season, holding a 2.84 ERA across 50.2 innings pitched. The 30-year-old has a WHIP just over one, and has earned seven holds and four saves on the season.
With the injury to closer Josh Hader, Sousa had the second-lowest ERA in the Astros’ bullpen, trailing only fill-in closer Bryan Abreu. Now, Houston’s bullpen is without another one of its top arms.
However, the Astros also moved pitcher Brandon Walter to the 60-day IL to make room on the 40-man roster for reliever Craig Kimbrel, who the Astros just picked up to help with their thin bullpen.
Kimbrel is in Baltimore with the team, and wearing No. 46, according to Rome. The veteran reliever has 15 years of MLB experience, is a World Series champion and a nine-time All-Star. However, Kimbrel hasn’t pitched but one inning in the majors since 2024.
The Astros will have McCullers returning to the starting rotation tonight after being reinstated from the IL with his right finger blister. McCullers last five starts prior to his IL stint were not pretty, giving up 22 runs across 20 innings.
However, in his latest rehab start McCullers threw five innings and gave up just one run while striking out five batters. The Astros hope he can carry that momentum into Friday’s start.
