After watching Fernando Abad get beat around by National League hitters for the better part of the past month-and-a-half, the Astros finally gave up and sent him down to Oklahoma following Tuesday’s game. Abad had racked up a 7.43 ERA and a 1.95 WHIP in 22 appearances. He had also walked eight batters in just 13 1/3rd innings. The Astros will replace him with right-hander Fernando Rodriguez.
Abad had been pretty sterling in a late season callup for the Astros last season, putting up a 2.84 ERA in 19 innings. But it wasn’t happening for him this year.
Rodriguez, once a solid Angels reliever prospect, had tallied a 1.29 ERA for the RedHawks, striking out 29 in 21 innings and allowing just 11 hits. The Astros will have only Sergio Escalona as a potential option from the left side, and he hasn’t exactly been stellar since getting called up either.
For the sanity of Astros fans, Rodriguez better work out. The Astros bullpen has blown eleven saves thus far, and Ed Wade is probably only a few more away from breaking down and signing some Atlantic Leaguers.