Hector

Ambriz

Ambriz was cut loose by the Indians on Sunday and didn’t take long to find a new home. He’s been assigned to Triple-A Oklahoma City but will have a shot to land a bullpen spot with a ‘Stros eventually.

Ambriz was sporting a 3.33 ERA in 24 1/3 innings at the Triple-A level. He will operate as a middle reliever.

Ambriz, a Rule 5 pick from the Diamondbacks in 2009 and a former fifth-round draft pick out of UCLA, posted a 5.59 ERA in the majors in 2010 and never made his way back after undergoing Tommy John surgery on his right elbow late in that season. The 28-year-old right-hander has a 3.55 ERA at the Triple-A level after missing all of last season. He’ll latch on elsewhere as organizational depth.

Veras has given up four runs over his last three appearances, taking a pair of losses. The Astros don’t have any other real alternatives, though, so he has some leash by default. He’s pitched two days in a row and might not be available Wednesday, so Hector Ambriz, he of the 4.94 ERA and 1.52 WHIP, could get a shot at a save if the ‘Stros manage to grab a lead.

Ambriz is next in line for saves if Jose Veras keeps struggling. Veras, who was having such a great May, has given up runs in three of four appearances, and he got tonight off after working three straight days. Ambriz isn’t anything special; he wouldn’t even have a spot in the bullpens of 20 major league teams. Still, he’s become worthy of some consideration in AL-only leagues, and he’ll be a certain pickup if Veras struggles next time out.

He struck out one. Houston rarely affords its middle relievers with leads, which makes it difficult to accrue holds, but Ambriz has notched eight thus far, even though his work has proved uninspiring. Ambriz is 1-2 with a 4.94 ERA, 1.52 WHIP and 19/8 K/BB ratio over 25 appearances.

With Jose Veras unavailable after pitching the last two days, Ambriz pitched a scoreless ninth inning. He remains the top candidate for saves if Veras continues to struggle. Rule 5 pick Josh Fields could also find his way into high-leverage situations.

“If you’re going to take a chance on someone to be a first-time closer, that’s the type of guy you want,” Porter said. “We do have other pitchers that will get an opportunity to pitch late in the game, whether it’s [Rhiner] Cruz, who had a really good winter league, or [Hector] Ambriz. There are others who will get a look, but Veras has the experience right now and is the front-runner.” Veras has major control issues, but he gets plenty of swings and misses and is the best bet of lackluster group in the Houston bullpen. That said, his leash would be short and he’s on a team virtually assured of another 100-loss season, so his prospects in fantasy terms aren’t great.

Ambriz rolled his right ankle Thursday while trying to cover first base during a fielding drill. He should be considered day-to-day at this point.

Ambriz should be back in action in a couple of days. The 28-year-old right-hander is locked into a setup job.