[ad_1]
HOUSTON — It’s seven months early, but the Astros are turning to Santa for some help for their bullpen.
Right-hander Alimber Santa, the team’s No. 16-ranked prospect by MLB Pipeline, is coming to town — as in Chicago for the Astros’ series against the Cubs this weekend at Wrigley Field. The Astros have not announced the move, but a source told MLB.com to expect Santa’s arrival prior to Friday’s game.
Santa is joining the Astros from Triple-A Sugar Land — not the North Pole — where he had a 1.42 ERA and 0.90 WHIP with 24 strikeouts and seven walks in 19 relief innings this season. The 23-year-old averaged 94.4 mph with his four-seam fastball, which he threw 35.8 percent of the time. He also throws a slider (30.1 percent) and a sweeper (34.2 percent). Left-handers were put on the naughty list, going 3-for-22 against him.
Santa, who does not have a beard (more of a goatee), will be the second arm gifted to the Astros bullpen in consecutive games. Right-hander Nate Pearson was activated from the IL prior to Wednesday’s game against the Twins in Minneapolis and threw a scoreless inning. He hit 99.9 mph, which is the hardest pitch thrown by a Houston pitcher this year.
The Astros recently moved Kai-Wei Teng from the bullpen to the rotation and lost lefty reliever Bennett Sousa to elbow inflammation. Closer Josh Hader has been rehabbing from biceps tendinitis since February and needs three more Minor League rehab outings at Double-A Corpus Christi before returning to action, which should be in early June.
Houston’s bullpen has a 5.72 ERA, ranked last in the Major Leagues entering Thursday. It’s been tough sledding.
After signing for $75,000 out of the Dominican Republic in 2020, Santa pitched just 23 innings in his first three years as a pro because of the pandemic and elbow inflammation in 2022, though he did hit triple digits with his fastball that August. Then he logged a 6.06 ERA in his first two years in full-season leagues before finally breaking out in 2025. He represented the Astros in the Futures Game last year and earned his first invite to Major League camp.
When he gets into a game, it will be his Major League debut, but don’t expect the Cubs to leave out cookies and milk.
[ad_2]
Source link
