Astros reliever Ryan Pressly was lifted from Saturday’s ALCS game after executing just one pitch in the third inning. The righty was brought in during a tough moment -- two outs, bases loaded with the go-ahead run on first -- and managed to get the Astros out of the jam with an inning-ending, first-pitch groundout to Didi Gregorius.
The ball didn’t leave the infield; Pressly caught it as it bounced toward first base and was several feet away from the bag when he came up limping with what appeared to be a right leg injury. Between innings, he headed back to the clubhouse with a team trainer and was replaced by José Urquidy (Houston’s fourth pitcher of the night) at the top of the fourth inning.
For now, the Astros are classifying the injury as “knee discomfort,” a diagnosis that feels significantly more alarming given the surgery Pressly underwent on his right knee earlier this year. Losing him for any amount of time would be a definite blow to the team, especially at such a critical point in the playoffs. The veteran right-hander pitched to an All Star-worthy 2.32 ERA and 2.66 FIP during the regular season and has delivered mostly-solid results in five postseason outings so far.
