Cody

Bolton

Bolton hits the shelf after allowing five runs over 8 1/3 innings over three appearances for the Astros this season. The injuries are really starting to pile up for Houston’s pitching staff at this point.

Bolton was clearly tight and was unable to continue after walking the bases loaded in the second inning. The right-hander was only starting because of the injuries to the Houston staff, and it seems more likely than not that Bolton will be placed on the injured list prior to Monday’s game against Seattle.

It appears to be yet another injury to the Astros’ pitching staff, Bolton seemed to be dealing with some sort of tightness in his shoulder area before leaving. The right-hander walked the bases loaded, and was then lifted after two strikes to Brendan Donovan. The specifics on why Bolton had to exit should be available shortly. Jayden Murray has taken over on the mound.

The Astros are dealing with a plethora of injuries in their rotation at the moment and need all the help that they can get, so it sounds like Bolton will have an opportunity to stick around if he pitches well. He allowed just two runs over 4 1/3 innings in a spot start against the Rockies on Monday.

Bolton, 27, made his first MLB start, and all things considered, it went ok. He blanked the Rockies into the fifth before giving up a pair of runs, and he was much more effective than Ryan Weiss (2 1/3 IP, 6 ER) despite the late scuffles. Bolton could make another start over the weekend against Seattle, but fantasy managers should look elsewhere for a streaming option, if necessary.

Bolton last pitched Tuesday, getting a three-inning save against the Red Sox. This will be his first major league start after 35 relief appearances. If he gets through three innings again, the Astros will probably be pretty happy.

That’s the good. The bad is that, because he threw 50 pitches, he’ll probably be swapped out for a fresh arm prior to Wednesday’s game. Bolton, who signed a minor league deal in January, was just added to Houston’s roster before the game. He had a 5.79 ERA in 34 career appearances with the Pirates, Mariners and Guardians coming into tonight.

Bolton fortifies Houston’s relief mix ahead of Monday’s series opener against the Red Sox. The 27-year-old reliever was in camp as a non-roster invitee after spending last year with the Guardians and Mariners.

The 27-year-old right-hander was released by the Guardians last June after giving up three runs on four hits over two innings in his lone appearance at the big league level. He’ll add bullpen depth for the Astros.

The 26-year-old hurler had been designated for assignment on Saturday and it sounds like he had no interest in accepting an outright assignment to Triple-A Columbus. Bolton is now free to peddle his wares on the open market.