The Astros have placed right-handed starting pitcher Zack Greinke on the COVID injured list. Sometimes players only spend a day or two on the list, but Astros manager Dusty Baker said Greinke will miss his next scheduled start, so this is notable. He was set to face the Padres on Saturday.
It's unclear whether Greinke has tested positive for the virus (Baker declined to tell reporters), but a positive test would keep him away from the team for 10 days.
Greinke, 37, is 11-5 with a 3.66 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 110 strikeouts in 159 2/3 innings. To this point, he's been a workhorse for Baker and the Astros, as he leads the AL in both innings pitched and batters faced.
Fortunately for the Astros, Jose Urquidy (shoulder) appears on track to return from the injured list in time to take Grienke's start on Saturday. If that is the case, he'll join Lance McCullers, Luis Garcia, Framber Valdez and Luis Garcia in the rotation -- a good illustration that the Astros have the depth to absorb the Grienke loss in the short term.
Further, the Astros entered Tuesday night with a six-game lead in the AL West, so they have a little wiggle room there, as well, while they wait to get Greinke back in the mix.
Maybe a bit of a reset for Greinke wouldn't be so bad anyway. The Astros have lost five of his past six starts and he just allowed six runs on nine hits in four innings on Sunday to the last-place Rangers.
