KANSAS CITY -- Right-hander Ryan Weiss, whom the Astros signed to a one-year, $2.6 million (with a $5 million club option) offseason deal after spending the previous two seasons pitching in Korea, was designated for assignment by the club Friday following a disappointing half season.
Weiss made the Opening Day roster, but he was optioned to Triple-A Sugar Land on May 5 after appearing in nine games for Houston, making two starts, and posting a 7.62 ERA in 26 innings pitched. Things didn’t go much better with the Space Cowboys. Weiss logged an 8.41 ERA in five starts (20 1/3 innings) in Triple-A.
The Astros have seven days to trade, release or outright Weiss to the Minors if he clears waivers, which is the likeliest scenario.
The Astros DFA’d Weiss to make room on the 40-man roster for infielder Raynel Delgado, who was added to the Major League roster prior to Friday’s series opener against the Royals at Kauffman Stadium. This would be Delgado’s Major League debut.
Delgado was acquired in a trade on Wednesday with the Rays in exchange for cash. Infielder Shay Whitcomb was optioned to Triple-A on Thursday.
Weiss was one of six pitchers acquired by the Astros in the offseason to bolster their depth, led by Japanese star Tatsuya Imai. He got off to a rocky start, but Imai had three solid starts under his belt entering his Friday’s outing against the Royals.
Houston has also gotten good performances from Kai-Wei Teng, who was acquired in a trade with the Giants, and Peter Lambert, who was signed to a Minor League contract. Both have stepped into the rotation and pitched well.
Mike Burrows, who was acquired from the Pirates in a three-team trade, has struggled this season. He’s made a team-high 13 starts, but Burrows has a 5.77 ERA in 73 innings and entered Friday leading the American League in home runs (17) and earned runs (47) allowed. Burrows remains in the rotation for now, with ace Hunter Brown set to come off the injured list next week.
Weiss posted a 3.16 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP with 305 strikeouts in 270 1/3 innings over the previous two seasons with the Hanwha Eagles of the Korea Baseball Organization. The 6-foot-4 Weiss was selected by the D-backs in the 2018 MLB Draft out of Wright State and he has pitched in 132 career Minor League games (47 starts) with Arizona and Kansas City, reaching Triple-A in 2021-23. He also pitched in China in '23.