After being scratched minutes before taking the mound on Tuesday with a hamstring injury, Houston Astros starting pitcher Gerrit Cole could now return to the rotation in the very new feature.
Houston’s skipper A.J. Hunch informed Jim Bowden that Cole “should be good to go” next week and rejoin the team’s rotation.
This is huge news for the Astros as losing Cole for any significant amount of time would have been devastating. The 28-year-old has been one of the best pitchers in baseball this year with a 2.87 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 226 strikeouts in 156.2 innings.
Cole, a free agent at the end of the season, has been even better as of late. He holds a 1.91 ERA with 114 strikeouts in his last 13 starts and owns a 9-0 record over that span.
While Cole’s normal spot in the rotation will likely need to be filled on Saturday, it now seems certain that he avoids a stint on the 10-day injured list.