Well, turns out Brandon Lyon had a perfectly legitimate excuse for his struggles of late. Astros doctors diagnosed Lyon with biceps tendinitis and a partial rotator cuff tear. He’ll be placed on the DL, and per Alyson Footer, the injury will be treated non-surgically.
Jose Valdez will be recalled from Oklahoma City to take Lyon’s place on the roster. Lyon had blown four saves and leaves the roster with a 7.15 ERA. Valdez has appeared in five games this season for the Astros, and has a 9.00 ERA with seven strikeouts, seven hits, and three walks allowed in five innings so far.
The two favorites for saves will be Wilton Lopez and Mark Melancon. With Lopez still recovering from an injury of his own, look for Melancon to get the first look at saves in the Houston bullpen. At least initially. No timetable was given for Lyon’s return, but the words “rotator cuff tear” are not very encouraging. Proceed accordingly to your fantasy waiver wire if you need saves.