Astros rookie wows in big-league debut after McCullers hurts elbow
On Tuesday, the Astros fell to the Blue Jays by a score of 2-1 (box score). Beyond the whole losing the game thing, the Night In Houston Pitching was a mixed bag.
First, there’s this regarding starter Lance McCullers …
From the clubhouse: Lance McCullers left tonight’s game with discomfort in his right elbow. He will be further evaluated tomorrow.
— Houston Astros (@astros) August 3, 2016
That’s obviously distressing for the Astros. McCullers, 22, boasts a career ERA of 3.22 after 36 starts over two seasons. He’s a young and important part of a Houston rotation that’s otherwise mostly disappointed in 2016, so this potential injury is quite worrisome. We’ll all presumably know more on Wednesday.
The good news, meantime, is that Joe Musgrove, the pitcher who replaced McCullers in the fifth, sparkled in his big-league debut. Musgrove kept the Astros within hailing distance by tossing 4 1/3 innings of one-hit, shutout ball. He also struck out eight over that span. Those eight strikeouts tied the 1986 record of the Pirates‘ Barry Jones for most strikeouts by a reliever making his major-league debut. Here’s one of them:
Musgrove, a 23-year-old former first-rounder who was coincidentally drafted by the Blue Jays, goes for the kill with a wipeout slider, but he also features this rare offering:
Musgrove worked primarily as a starter in the minors (where he posted a ridiculous 7.8 K/BB ratio in 337 1/3 innings), and Baseball America tabbed him as the No. 83 overall prospect coming into this season. Given his sparkling debut and given the possibility of a hole in the rotation, Musgrove may get a look as a starter at some point.
So, Astros fans, there’s your consolation.