Houston Astros fans weren't too pleased last night when Bud Norris was forced to leave Tuesday night's start after just three and a third innings of work. Norris left the game after spraining his left knee, and it's still unknown how severe the injury is. Norris is expected to be re-evaluated at some point on Wednesday.
Norris' 2012 campaign has been nothing shy of inconsistent. At times, Norris flashes brilliance, as shown in his June 6 start against the Cardinals, when Norris struck out 12 in six innings without walking a batter. The start prior to that, though, Norris was rocked to the tune of nine runs in one and two thirds innings.
Regardless, Norris has respectable numbers that should be better than they are -- his 4.81 ERA is a bit on the ugly side, but Norris boasts a 3.93 FIP and 3.68 xFIP. Astros fans and fantasy owners alike should expect better results from Norris going forward -- assuming his left knee isn't injured too badly.
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