Houston Astros Reliever Beginning Rehab Assignment Tuesday

The AL West is still up for grabs as the Houston Astros have continued to struggle down the stretch of the season.

They are now 4-6 in their last 10 games, but still hold a one-and-a-half game lead over the Texas Rangers and Seattle Mariners after the Rangers lost their fourth game in a row Monday and the Mariners are 3-7 over their last 10.

With a late lead at home against the Baltimore Orioles, the bullpen blew the game in the ninth inning, highlighting rare struggles from one of the best units in Major League Baseball over the past few years.

A staple of the bullpen for the past three seasons has been Ryne Stanek, who is currently on the injured list with a right ankle sprain.

He hasn't played since Sept. 4 when he injured his ankle, going on the IL a day later.

The Astros got some good news as Stanek will begin his rehab assignment on Tuesday, reporting to their Triple-A affiliate Sugar Land.

This comes after the 32-year-old was practicing covering first base ahead of their home matchup on Monday, the exact same play that resulted in his right ankle sprain.

Manager Dusty Baker is unclear how much work he'll need at the minor league level before getting cleared to return to Houston's bullpen, but his rehab assignment signals that he could return before the end of the regular season.

Stanek's production has been down this year compared the 3.42 and 1.15 ERAs he's recorded the past two seasons respectively. In 2023, his ERA has gone up to 4.07, allowing 22 earned runs in 48 2/3 innings so far.

The Astros' bullpen right now is strained, so getting a veteran arm back in the mix will be a huge benefit for them going forward the rest of the season and in the playoffs.