HOUSTON -- Because the Astros weren’t able to lock up the American League West title until the final day of the regular season, the club’s pitching plans for Tuesday’s Game 1 of the AL Division Series against the White Sox remain up in the air.
Astros manager Joe Espada said Monday the club would employ a bullpen game to begin the series. Houston ace Hunter Brown is expected to start Game 2 on Wednesday, with Hayden Wesneski ready for a possible Game 3 on Thursday.
“We’re working through that right now,” Espada said.
The Astros used six pitchers to cover nine innings in Sunday’s 9-0 win over the A’s in West Sacramento, a game Houston needed to win to return to the playoffs. Peter Lambert, pitching on two days of rest, threw 41 pitches in two innings and won’t be an option for bulk innings Tuesday. Neither will rookie starter Ethan Pecko, who threw 34 pitches in three scoreless innings Sunday.
Beyond that, the Astros’ bullpen is rested. Miguel Ullola threw 18 pitches Sunday, and AJ Blubaugh hasn’t pitched since Friday, Bryan Abreu hasn’t pitched since Thursday and closer Josh Hader hasn’t pitched since Wednesday. All would be options to cover some innings in Game 1.
The Astros could also get key left-handed reliever Steven Okert back from a hamstring injury that sidelined him in the final couple of weeks of the regular season. Okert was with the club in West Sacramento and was throwing bullpens. Houston will release its ALWCS roster Tuesday morning.
“He is throwing off the mound again [Monday], so don’t want to jump to any conclusions,” Espada said. “We’re working through our roster. We’re working through a bunch of things now.”
If the Astros want to think outside the box, they could start rookie Tatsuya Imai in Game 1. After flopping as a starter (5.83 ERA in 58 2/3 innings), Imai was moved to long relief for the final two months of the season and mostly pitched mop-up duty, while the Astros adeptly made sure he finished with fewer than 80 innings so as not to trigger a $2 million contract incentive. He finished with 76 2/3 innings, throwing six scoreless innings in his final four outings of the regular season.
Another name to watch is right-hander Mike Burrows, who landed on the injured list in early July with right elbow neuritis before having a promising Minor League rehab stint at Triple-A Sugar Land shut down because of right shoulder inflammation. He was also with the club on the road trip and worked out at Daikin Park on Monday.