The Houston Astros optioned Ronel Blanco to Triple-A Sugar Land after Saturday’s game against the Seattle Mariners, sending down the right-hander they hoped would help stabilize their rotation.
Manager Joe Espada said Blanco will go to Triple-A to start “some games,” leaving the duration of his minor-league assignment open-ended.
“I just think that we need to (improve) just the sharpness of his pitches, being able to finish hitters off,” Espada said before Sunday’s series finale against the Mariners. “He’s throwing strikes. Maybe creating some swing and miss, curveball-slider can be better pitches for him. So we gave him a plan, he’s going to go down there and start some games and try to refine some of his pitches.”
In his first four starts back, Blanco compiled a 6.98 ERA, completing at least five innings just once. He moved to the bullpen this weekend and pitched Saturday after a seven-day layoff. Blanco’s whiff rate, 25.8%, is below his 30.1% career rate and he has 12 walks and 20 strikeouts across 23 ⅓ innings. He has also allowed seven home runs in that span.
Optioning Blanco underscores the tenuous state of Houston’s rotation. The Astros recalled reliever Miguel Ullola from Triple-A Sugar Land to replace Blanco on the active roster Sunday. They did not announce starters for the first two games of their upcoming series against the Angels, which begins Tuesday. Peter Lambert is scheduled to pitch the finale of that series on five days’ rest.
Ullola gives the Astros a fresh bullpen arm for Sunday’s series finale. This is the right-hander’s third callup this season; he allowed three runs in five total innings over his first two major-league stints.