SEATTLE — Houston Astros starter Spencer Arrighetti broke his right thumb on Monday after being struck by a line drive during Seattle Mariners batting practice at T-Mobile Park.
Arrighetti got hit while playing catch in left field. The Mariners were taking batting practice simultaneously, which is a common occurrence at ballparks across the league. Often, a coach or player not participating in pregame work will stand guard to prevent accidents like this from occurring.
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Manager Joe Espada only learned of the incident a few minutes before he met with reporters before Monday’s game, and did not have a substantial update. The team announced Arrighetti’s diagnosis about an hour before first pitch and did not specify how much time he will miss.
Losing Arrighetti for any length is a crippling blow to a Houston rotation without much established depth. Arrighetti threw 145 innings last season and struck out 10.6 batters per nine innings, showing excellent flashes in an otherwise inconsistent rookie season.
After Justin Verlander’s departure this winter, Arrighetti was slotted behind Framber Valdez and Hunter Brown as the third starter during the Astros’ first two turns in the rotation. Arrighetti last pitched on Saturday, surrendering five earned runs across 3 2/3 innings against the Minnesota Twins.
Options to replace Arrighetti in the Astros’ rotation include prospects Colton Gordon, AJ Blubaugh or Ryan Gusto, who has allowed one earned run in seven innings while serving as the long man in Houston’s bullpen. An off day on Thursday means the Astros could move Ronel Blanco up to start in Arrighetti’s place on Friday against the Los Angeles Angels, but the club will need to add a fifth starter afterward to fill the schedule.
Neither Blubaugh nor Gordon has any major-league experience, but Gordon’s place on the 40-man roster may give him a slight advantage over Blubaugh, should the Astros choose to promote from the minor leagues.
Stretching Gusto out into a starter may be Houston’s most prudent move, especially given how successful he’s been at the beginning of this season. Gusto threw 148 1/3 innings last season as a traditional starter for Triple-A Sugar Land and was slated to start Houston’s regular-season finale in Cleveland before it was canceled due to inclement weather.
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The looming return of Lance McCullers Jr. should somewhat mitigate Arrighetti’s absence, but what the Astros will extract from a pitcher who hasn’t appeared in a major-league game since 2022 is anyone’s guess.
McCullers is scheduled to make his third minor-league rehab start on Saturday for Sugar Land and, if there are no setbacks, could return sometime in early May.
(Photo: Jordan Johnson / Imagn Images)
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