Enyel

De Los Santos

De Los Santos hadn’t pitched in four days and the Astros are off tomorrow, so the idea was to get him some work today. Well, he got some, giving up four hits before José Caballero lined out to third to end the game. All seven batters he faced put the ball in play against him, and three of those balls topped 102 mph. De Los Santos and Bryan King, who pitched a scoreless eighth today, are the Astros’ preferred options in the final two innings right now, and this probably helps King’s stock a bit.

Hader progressed to facing hitters earlier this month and figures to be getting close to heading out on a minor league rehab assignment. The 32-year-old stopper has been on the shelf working his way back from a biceps issue and appears on track to make his season debut at some point in the second half of May. Enyel De Los Santos has stepped up as Houston’s closer of late in his absence.

Sousa’s return should provide an immediate lift for Houston’s bullpen, which has been an unmitigated disaster with a bloated 5.94 ERA this season, which is the second-worst in the entire majors. The 31-year-old lefty missed the first month of the season recovering from an oblique strain after posting a sparking 2.84 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 59/15 K/BB ratio across 50 2/3 innings last year. There’s a chance he gets a look in upcoming save situations until closer Josh Hader is back from the injured list, which gives him sneaky appeal in deeper fantasy leagues.

De Los Santos struck out Rhys Hoskins with one on to finish the eighth. The ninth should have been quick, but Jose Altuve couldn’t make a play on a grounder to his right. Bo Naylor walked to put the tying run on with two outs, but Brayan Rocchio then flew out to end the game. It’s the third save for De Los Santos, who has been competing with Bryan King for opportunities. As the righty of the two, he’s probably the better bet at the moment, though neither is a particularly appealing fantasy option.

After coming in with a 4-2 lead, De Los Santos gave up two hits and a walk while retiring one batter. King took over and gave up two more hits and two walks (one intentional) before finishing the six-run inning. De Los Santos was charged with the loss, while King got the blown save. The two have been the favorites for saves in the Houston pen of late, but it’s hard to justify rostering either right now. Kai-Wei Teng has been the team’s best reliever, but he’s thriving as a multi-inning guy, having pitched 2 2/3 hitless innings tonight. What the Astros really need is for Bryan Abreu to figure things out.

Enyel De Los Santos worked a scoreless eighth. He and King seem like the favorites for saves in Houston’s pen right now, so this is probably edge to De Los Santos. King, though, was victimized by a Brice Matthews error in the 10th, and things could have worked out quite a bit differently if that play had been made.

Bryan Abreu probably could have handled this one just fine, but he was instead utilized in getting four outs in the seventh and eighth. De Los Santos then retired Brett Sullivan, Edouard Julien and Brenton Doyle with a two-run lead in the ninth. With Josh Hader hopefully three weeks or so away, none of the Astros’ ninth-inning alternatives seem worth rostering in shallow leagues at this point.

Hader said his four-seam fastball was between 91-93 mph, and he was pleased with his overall performance. While this may not seem like a major accomplishment, it’s the first time Hader has faced hitters in months, so it’s certainly a step in the right direction. He will need to face hitters in simulated sessions a few more times and then head out on a rehab assignment, so the middle of May feels like a best-case scenario for Hader to return to the Astros bullpen. With Bryan Abreu struggling, the Astros will continue to roll with some combination of him, Bryan King, and Enyel De Los Santos until Hader returns.

Bryan King had come into the game with two runners on and one out in the eighth inning. He allowed a run in on a hit before getting out of the jam with a one-run lead. King was given the opportunity to close out the ninth, but gave up two hits with two outs before he was pulled at 28 pitches. De Los Santos came in for the final out to record the save. Bryan Abreu had pitched in two of the last three days, totaling 50 pitches. He’ll likely get lower leverage work until he shows improvement. King is still the best bet for save chances at the moment, at least until either Abreu gets right or Hader returns from the injured list.

De Los Santos rejoins Houston’s bullpen mix prior to Monday’s series opener at Coors Field against the Rockies. The 30-year-old opened the regular season on the shelf recovering from a knee sprain. He’ll operate in middle relief situations for the Astros.