Astros: 3 players that could be optioned for Jake Odorizzi

On Friday, Zack Greinke was scratched from his start because of neck soreness. The right-hander hit the 10-day injured list (retroactive to Tuesday), as the Houston Astros gave the start to Brandon Bielak. Also, Peter Solomon was recalled from the taxi squad to fill out the roster and join the bullpen.

Jake Odorizzi is scheduled to start on Sunday, as the right-hander currently sits on the 10-day IL with a foot injury. While the best idea is to wait until the day of his start to activate Odorizzi, the Astros have a few scenarios to evaluate.

With Jake Odorizzi scheduled to start on Sunday, an Astros’ pitcher is likely to be optioned.

Brandon Bielak

With Brandon Bielak taking a start on Friday, the right-hander would likely be the first choice to be optioned for Odorizzi. Bielak worked 54 pitches in his outings, the most of an Astros hurler on Friday night. In case of emergency, the right-hander could still be an option late into a game on Sunday, but optioning Bielak for a fresh arm off the injured list makes the most sense. Odorizzi would just fill in the five-man rotation, eventually bumping Bielak to the bullpen.

Peter Solomon

Peter Solomon’s appeared in relief on Friday night, where the righty threw 48 pitches over three innings. The Astros optioned him to the taxi squad for the road trip, before activating him for long relief out of the ‘pen. With Bielak and Solomon in the same boat regarding availability, Solomon should stay over Bielak with his recent success. If the team options both, the Astros could call-up Josh James, who hasn’t pitched since Wednesday, from the taxi squad to close out the series.

Seth Martinez

Since his call-up, Seth Martinez has had three appearances, totaling three innings. The right-hander’s latest appearance only consisted of 34 pitches on Friday, which might not leave optimal rest time to pitch again this series.

All three are possibly done for the series, so it will be interesting to see who goes down. If an injury occurs, then there is a corresponding move, but adding James as well would behoove the organization. After a brutal loss on Friday, the Astros are back in action on Saturday at 3:07 p.m. in Oakland. Framber Valdez will look to counter left-hander Sean Manaea.