Astros Place Steven Okert On Injured List

The Astros announced that left-hander Steven Okert has been placed on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to September 1, due to a right hamstring strain. Fellow southpaw Bryan King has been recalled to take his place on the roster. Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle was among those to pass along the news.

It’s an unfortunate blow for the Astros, as Okert has been one of their top setup options in front of closer Josh Hader this year. Okert has thrown 67 2/3 innings, allowing 2.13 earned runs per nine. There’s some good luck in there from a .226 batting average on balls in play and 86.5% strand rate but Okert’s 26.1% strikeout rate and 5.4% walk rate are both a few ticks better than league average. His 3.23 FIP and 3.33 SIERA are both more than a full run higher than his ERA but still point to quality work.

Those numbers have pushed Okert into a key leverage role. He leads the club with 21 holds, almost double everyone else on the squad, as King and Bryan Abreu are second in that category with 12 each.

Subtracting that arm is potentially a notable loss as the regular season goes into the final stretch. With barely three weeks left in the regular season, the Astros have a narrow two-game lead over the Rangers in the American League West, making every contest loom large.

Ideally, Okert can come back later in the month or perhaps in October. In the meantime, other guys will have to step up to pitch in close games. Abreu had an awful start to the season but he has a 1.57 ERA dating back to June 3. AJ Blubaugh has moved from a starting role to the bullpen with great results. Dating back to May 27, he has a 1.88 ERA, 30.3% strikeout rate and 6.7% walk rate in 52 2/3 innings.

Apart from Hader, King and Bennett Sousa will be the available lefties. Sousa has a 6.23 ERA on the year. King started out in good form, with a 2.03 ERA through July 7, but has an awful 13.15 ERA since then. He got optioned to the minors in both July and August and has thrown 4 2/3 scoreless innings in Triple-A this year.