Teng started the season in the Astros\u2019 bullpen and joined their rotation in mid-May. He has thrown 64 innings. Last season, Teng pitched 86 \u2154 innings between Triple-A and the majors with the Giants. He totaled 90 innings between those levels in 2024.<\/p>\n
Astros manager Joe Espada said the purpose of sending Teng down to Triple-A is for a \u201cde-load \u2026 take some of the workload off and put him in a schedule where we can kind of give him a breather and get him back going again.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHis stuff has been down a bit, especially he showed that yesterday, so I think this will benefit him,\u201d Espada said Sunday at Comerica Park.<\/p>\n
Saturday, Teng\u2019s average four-seam fastball velocity was down 1.8 mph from his previous season mean and his sweeper velocity down 2 mph. Teng posted a 2.57 ERA over his first 42 innings this season, then a 7.77 ERA across his past five starts.<\/p>\n
\u201cCompared to the start of the season, I would say there\u2019s definitely some fatigue and tiredness,\u201d Teng said through an interpreter after the Astros\u2019 8-6 win<\/a> Saturday. \u201cThe past two seasons, I only pitched like 70 or 80 innings a year at the most, and this year it\u2019s only like halfway up the season and I\u2019m already reaching the count of innings. So I would say there is some fatigue, but it\u2019s still manageable.\u201d<\/p>\n Espada said the Astros will sit down with Teng in the next couple of days to set his pitching schedule at Triple-A, including whether he will work as a starter or reliever there.<\/p>\n \u201cPart of the de-load is still pitching him, less pitches, less innings,\u201d Espada said. \u201cWe\u2019ve got to kind of figure out how\u2019s that going to work so next time we bring him up he\u2019ll still be in a position to work out of the pen or as a starter.\u201d<\/p>\n