Kendall Graveman is done for the year. Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images.
Coming into this season, we knew the bullpen could be a serious issue with Phil Maton, Hector Neris, and Ryne Stanek set to depart in free agency.
Well things just got much worse as the Astros announced on Tuesday that Kendall Graveman will miss the season after having shoulder surgery.
RHP Kendall Graveman underwent surgery on his right shoulder, General Manager Dana Brown announced today. pic.twitter.com/OgKezX9uJN
— Houston Astros (@astros) January 16, 2024
Fading the loss of Hector Neris was going to be a challenge BEFORE receiving this news. At least Graveman had the pedigree to be an effective seventh inning guy, leaving the 8th and 9th innings to Bryan Abreu and Ryan Pressly.
But with this news, the Astros may have to lean on Rafael Montero (5.08 ERA) more than they would like to this season.
In Graveman's short time with Houston in 2023, he posted a 2.42 ERA in 23 games. Unfortunately, shoulder discomfort kept him off the playoff roster, and now will keep him out for the entire 2024 season. We've likely seen the last of Graveman in an Astros uniform. He'll be a free agent in 2025.
The Astros trading catching prospect and former 1st round pick Korey Lee to the White Sox in exchange for Graveman looked like a reasonable trade at the time. But now, it appears to be a mistake, with Graveman unable to help the club in 2025.
Losing three quality bullpen arms now feels like a bigger pill to swallow with Graveman out of the picture. This now makes four losses to what used to be a strength for Houston.
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Zack Short hit a walk-off RBI single in the 11th inning after Christian Walker tied it with a sacrifice fly and the Houston Astros beat the Texas Rangers 5-4 on Saturday night.
Short hit a 1-1 pitch to right field off Hoby Milner after Robert Garcia (1-5) walked two to load the bases.
Texas took a 4-3 lead when Adolis García hit the first pitch from Bennett Sousa (3-0) for a single — scoring automatic runner Marcus Semien.
Kyle Higashioka hit a solo home run off Josh Hader with two outs in the ninth to tie it 3-3. It was the first blown save for Hader after 25 straight to begin the season.
Jose Altuve hit his 17th homer — a two-out solo shot in the first off Jacob deGrom to tie it 1-1 after the Rangers scored an unearned run on Framber Valdez’s wild pitch.
Yainer Diaz homered for the 14th time for a 2-1 lead in the fourth. Mauricio Dubón hit his sixth homer off Jacob Webb for a 3-1 lead in the seventh.
Semien hit his 11th homer to cut it to 3-2 in the eighth.
Valdez allowed an unearned run on four hits with 10 strikeouts and no walks in six innings. The Astros have won his last 12 starts with him getting the win in nine of them.
DeGrom allowed two runs on four hits and a walk in six innings with eight strikeouts.
The Rangers struck out 19 times — two short of the club record for an extra-inning game.
Key moment
Short entered as a pinch runner in the ninth and was just 4 for 17 before his game winner.
Key stat
Houston hasn’t lost a season series with division rival Texas since 2016.
Up next
Rangers RHP Nathan Eovaldi (6-3, 1.62 ERA) starts Sunday’s rubber game opposite Astros RHP Hunter Brown (9-3, 2.21).
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