The Houston Astros have been struggling with starting pitchers, and their recent struggles have resulted in injuries to even those brought up from the minors. Jake Bloss made his major league debut on Friday night, taking an open spot in Houston’s rotation. However, during the game against the Baltimore Orioles, Bloss had to leave after pitching 3 2/3 innings due to an apparent injury.
Despite feeling only a “tweak” in his right shoulder, Bloss was placed on the injured list the following day. The specifics of his injury were not disclosed, with manager Joe Espada mentioning that Bloss will be examined by team doctors and undergo imaging in Houston to determine the extent of the issue. Espada noted that he had swiftly taken Bloss out of the game as soon as he noticed a decrease in the rookie’s velocity, with his final pitch at 90.5 mph.
Bloss’ situation adds to the Astros’ list of injured starting pitchers, which already includes Jose Urquidy and Cristian Javier who recently had Tommy John surgery, as well as Justin Verlander who is on the IL because of neck discomfort. Lance McCullers Jr., and Luis Garcia have not yet played this season but hope to return after the All-Star break. The team is now faced with the challenge of deciding who will fill the fifth spot in their rotation. Relievers Luis Contreras and Bryan King were called up on Saturday, potentially leading to a bullpen start given the two off days before their next game against New York Mets.
