Unheralded Astros' offseason pickup sees comeback bid interrupted

The Houston Astros welcomed back a familiar face this week after reuniting with Hector Neris. The Astros allowed Neris to leave via free agency this past offseason, but after being let go by the Chicago Cubs, Houston re-signed the former reliever to join their bullpen for the stretch run -- and, hopefully, a playoff berth.

But the news is not so good for a forgotten reliever the Astros brought in this offseason. Penn Murfee, who was claimed off waivers from the Atlanta Braves in March, was returned from his rehab assignment on Thursday. That language can oftentimes confuse fans, but essentially it means that the rehab process has been halted.

Murfee, who enjoyed success with the Seattle Mariners in the past, had been recovering from Tommy John surgery. The Astros knew that Murfee wouldn't be available until later this season, at best, but now the timeline is even more unpredictable.

Unheralded Astros' offseason pickup Penn Murfee sees comeback bid interrupted

Murfee had a fine rookie season with the Mariners in 2022, and was lights out last season. The right-hander posted a fantastic 1.29 ERA in 14 innings of work and added 16 punch outs to his stat line. Combined, Murfee is 5-2 for his career with a 2.70 ERA.

Murfee made a rehab appearance with the Astros' Low-A affiliate in Fayetteville, North Carolina last week. The results were less than stellar. Murfee faced five batters and allowed four runs on three hits. However, being that this was Murfee's first action since June of 2023, the results weren't as important as actually getting back onto the mound.

However, Murfee felt discomfort in his right elbow after his outing with the Fayetteville Woodpeckers and was pulled off his rehab assignment. Given that he's recovering from elbow surgery, it stands to reason that the Astros are going to proceed with caution before sending Murfee back out to the mound this season.

This latest setback could be the end of Murfee's 2024 comeback altogether. With only about six weeks left in the season, it seems unlikely that Murfee will be able to rehab from his current issue and build up enough innings to make any sort of impact on the major league club.

Murfee is under team control through 2028, so there's little reason for the Astros to rush the 30-year-old back if something is amiss. It does, however, put more emphasis on the Astros' reunion with Neris and the hopeful return of injured reliever Ryan Pressly. As good as Josh Hader and Bryan Abreu have been this season, Houston needs more reinforcements in the bullpen for the upcoming postseason push.

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