Astros' Jose Urquidy: Expects just one more rehab start
Rotowire
Urquidy (forearm) said Monday that his next rehab start on Saturday with Double-A Corpus Christi should be his final one before he returns from the 15-day injured list, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Urquidy threw 48 pitches and allowed three runs over 2.2 innings in his first rehab start with Triple-A Sugar Land on Sunday. He will get his pitch count up to 70 on Saturday, and if he fares well for Corpus Christi, Urquidy could slot back into Houston's six-man rotation as a potential replacement for either Hunter Brown or Spencer Arrighetti.
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Astros' Jose Urquidy: Struggles in rehab start
Rotowire
Urquidy (forearm) struck out three and allowed three runs on three hits and one walk over 2.2 innings in his first rehab start with Triple-A Sugar Land on Sunday.
Urquidy served up a home run and recorded just eight outs in his first appearance of the season at any level after he was placed on the 15-day injured list March 28 with a right forearm strain. His four-seam fastball averaged 91.6 miles per hour, which was down 1.5 mph from last season. The right-hander had been targeting 60 to 65 pitches but wound up throwing only 48, so he'll certainly need at least one or two more rehab starts before returning from the 15-day injured list.
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Astros' Jose Urquidy: First rehab start Sunday
Rotowire
Urquidy (forearm) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Sugar Land on Sunday, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Urquidy is slated for four innings and/or 60-to-65 pitches in the outing. It's a fairly substantial workload considering the right-hander has been on the shelf with a forearm strain since mid-March. Urquidy would seemingly need at least one additional rehab start after that before returning to the Astros.
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Astros' Jose Urquidy: Starting rehab stint
Rotowire
Astros manager Joe Espada said Wednesday that Urquidy (forearm) is likely to begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Sugar Land this weekend, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.
The right-hander threw live batting practice Tuesday and has now been cleared to pitch in minor-league games. Urquidy was shut down with a forearm strain in mid-March and will likely require a handful of rehab starts before making his season debut for the Astros.
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Astros' Jose Urquidy: Nearing rehab assignment
Rotowire
Urquidy (forearm) will throw live batting practice Tuesday and could then begin a minor-league rehab assignment, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
The right-hander was originally expected to throw live BP on Sunday, but the session was pushed back a couple days. Astros general manager Dana Brown expects Urquidy to require "two or three rehab starts" before rejoining the Astros, so he's still at least a couple weeks away from returning from the 15-day injured list.
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Astros' Jose Urquidy: Faces hitters Wednesday
Rotowire
Urquidy (forearm) threw live batting practice before Wednesday's game against Cleveland, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
Urquidy was able to throw 30 pitches without any problems during Wednesday's session. The 29-year-old righty will likely throw one more round of BP before embarking on a rehab assignment in the minors, though it's unclear when that might happen.
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Astros' Jose Urquidy: Throws bullpen session
Rotowire
Urquidy (forearm) threw a bullpen session Monday, MLB.com reports.
The session marked Urquidy's first time pitching from a mound since mid-March. The team is hoping to get him back in May, though he'll likely need a fairly lengthy ramp-up process.
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Astros' Jose Urquidy: Throws off slope of mound
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Urquidy (forearm) threw off the front slope of the mound Tuesday, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
It's a big step as Urquidy continues to work his way back from a right forearm strain. He will progress to facing hitters and eventually go out on a rehab assignment, although it's not clear yet when that might happen. A Houston rotation that's been hit hard by injury could use Urquidy, but the team won't rush the right-hander.
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Astros' Jose Urquidy: Plays catch Friday
Rotowire
Urquidy (forearm) played catch Friday, marking the first time he's done so since his injury, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
Urquidy was removed from a minor-league game March 15 due to a right forearm strain, and he was placed on the team's 15-day injured list March 28. The plan is for Urquidy to play catch again Sunday while the team monitors him.
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Astros' Jose Urquidy: Officially placed on injured list
Rotowire
The Astros placed Urquidy (forearm) on the 15-day injured list Thursday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
He suffered the injury during an appearance in a minor-league game in mid-March. According to Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle, manager Joe Espada said Thursday that Urquidy hopes to start playing catch by the weekend. Even if that happens, he's unlikely to be ready to make his 2024 Astros debut before the end of April.
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Astros' Jose Urquidy: Hoping to throw in 10-to-15 days
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Urquidy (forearm) is hoping to resume throwing in 10-to-15 days, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Urquidy will be shut down for a bit after an MRI revealed right forearm inflammation. The good news is the exam showed no issues with his UCL, so the hope is that a little rest and treatment will allow things to clear up. Urquidy will need time to be built back up, so a return before the end of April seems unlikely even in a best-case scenario.
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Astros' Jose Urquidy: Shut down from throwing
Rotowire
Astros manager Joe Espada said Tuesday that Urquidy (forearm) will be shut down from throwing "for a while," Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
Urquidy was diagnosed with a right forearm strain Monday and it sounds like he will be given an extended period of rest, although Espada's update didn't offer much in the way of specifics. The Astros will also be without Justin Verlander (shoulder) for a while, leaving J.P. France and Ronel Blanco to fill the final two spots in the rotation indefinitely.
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Astros' Jose Urquidy: Out with forearm strain
Rotowire
Astros manager Joe Espada said Monday that Urquidy has been diagnosed with a forearm muscle strain and won't be available for the start of the regular season, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Urquidy has been shut down from throwing for at least the next few days after he suffered the forearm strain during his most recent spring training outing Saturday. Despite turning in an ugly 5.29 ERA and 1.43 WHIP over 63 innings in the majors in 2023, Urquidy was in position to break camp as a member of the Astros' Opening Day rotation before sustaining the arm injury. With Urquidy, Justin Verlander (shoulder), Lance McCullers (forearm) and Luis Garcia (elbow) all set to open the season on the shelf, Houston should have back-end rotation spots available for both J.P. France and Ronel Blanco for much of April, if not longer. Unless Urquidy is able to resume his throwing progression before the end of spring training, he'll most likely spend more than the minimum 15 days on the injured list.
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Astros' Jose Urquidy: Seeing doctors in Houston
Rotowire
Urquidy (elbow) will fly to Houston on Saturday to see the Astros' team doctors, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
Urquidy removed himself from his appearance in a minor-league game Saturday due to discomfort in his right elbow. The pain hadn't disappeared when he arrived at the Astros' complex Saturday, so he will head back to Houston in order to get checked out. Should Urquidy end up having to miss time to begin the season, the Astros may further intensify their push to sign Blake Snell.
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Astros' Jose Urquidy: Leaves appearance with sore elbow
Rotowire
Urquidy pulled himself from an appearance in a minor-league game Friday due to right elbow discomfort, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
Urquidy -- who threw 43 pitches in the outing before exiting -- is being examined by the Astros trainers Friday. The team reportedly was already on the lookout for rotation help with Justin Verlander (shoulder) opening the season on the injured list, and a serious injury to Urquidy could increase the urgency to sign someone like Blake Snell.
Astros' Jose Urquidy: Expected to open in rotation
Rotowire
Astros general manager Dana Brown said Tuesday that he expects Urquidy to open the season in the rotation, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
Urquidy seemingly would be competing with J.P. France for a spot if everyone was healthy, but with Justin Verlander (shoulder) behind schedule they will both be needed. France is coming back from a shoulder issue himself but is expected to be ready in time for Opening Day. Urquidy finished with a 5.29 ERA over 63 innings for the Astros during a disappointing 2023 campaign but believes his struggles can be traced to tipping his pitches, something he has worked to correct.
Urquidy modified the movement of his glove this offseason to avoid tipping his pitches, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
Urquidy believed he was tipping his pitches by the way he moved and squeezed his glove in his delivery during the 2023 season. In addition to correcting that issue, he also worked to strengthen his shoulder and lat after suffering an injury to those areas last year. Urquidy is projected to compete with J.P. France (shoulder) for the fifth starter role, and he could have an advantage with France currently sidelined.
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Astros' Jose Urquidy: Settles with Astros
Rotowire
The Astros and Urquidy avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $3.75 million contract Thursday, Ari Alexander of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
Urquidy was eligible for arbitration for the second time. The right-hander had a down 2023 campaign that was sabotaged by injury, as he finished with a 5.29 ERA over 63 innings. He wouldn't seem to be guaranteed a rotation spot heading into 2024.
