Pressly (knee) placed on IL; Abreu called up

August 1st, 2019

CLEVELAND -- With his right knee still sore nearly two weeks after he took a comebacker off the leg in Anaheim, All-Star relief pitcher was placed on the 10-day injured list Wednesday in a move retroactive to Saturday.

The Astros called up right-hander -- Houston's No. 5 prospect per MLB Pipeline -- from Double-A Corpus Christi, but his stay with the big league club could be short-lived after the Astros acquired three pitchers Wednesday, including reliever Joe Biagini from the Blue Jays.

Pressly, who made the All-Star team for the first time in 2019, has been unavailable in recent days due to the knee ailment, which he initially suffered when he was hit by a comebacker on July 18.

The 30-year-old righty has been one of the most effective bullpen arms in MLB this season, recording a 2.03 ERA with 55 strikeouts and only eight walks in 44 1/3 innings.

"I didn't want him showing up to the ballpark every day not knowing [if he could play]," Astros manager AJ Hinch said. "Throwing in the afternoon and waiting to see if he was feeling good for the game wasn't fair to him or the team. I talked to him after his throwing session [Tuesday] and he just didn't feel right. We all decided it was the best for him."