HOUSTON -- The Astros placed left-handed reliever Tony Sipp on the paternity list Friday, clearing a roster spot to recall hard-throwing right-hander Michael Feliz.
Sipp, 32, left the team early Friday for the birth of his second child. The southpaw, in his third year with the team, will return Saturday.
Houston was without its only left-handed option in the bullpen Friday night in a 6-3 win. The Astros didn't have another lefty in the 'pen after moving Chris Devenski into the starting rotation last week, shifting veteran right-hander Scott Feldman into a relief role.
Sipp -- like much of the Astros' staff -- has struggled a bit over the season's first month, compiling a 4.66 ERA and allowing three homers in 9 2/3 innings.
As for Feliz -- who is ranked as Houston's No. 10 prospect by MLBPipeline.com -- he's now on his third stint with the Astros this season.
The reliever made the team out of camp but was sent down on April 7, mostly to keep the bullpen fresh after his 107-pitch relief outing in the second game of the season. He rejoined the team two weeks ago and pitched two scoreless innings in each of his last two outings, striking out four against Minnesota on Monday.
"It was a pretty quick [recall], but you're always waiting for it, for the opportunity," Feliz said. "My last two games were pretty good, and so I wanted a chance again."
Feliz has an 8.31 ERA in 17 1/3 career innings, stretching back to 2015, but he does have 19 strikeouts in those nine appearances.