Spencer

Arrighetti

Arrighetti suffered a fractured thumb during a freak accident during on-field batting practice back in early April and could return to Houston’s injury-ravaged rotation at some point in the next few weeks. The 25-year-old righty is going to need a handful of rehab outings to build up his pitch count and stamina, but there’s a chance he’s back at some point in July.

Arrighetti has been on the injured list since early in April when he fractured his thumb after being hit by a line drive. Since then, the Astros have also lost both Hayden Wesneski and Ronel Blanco for the season. The team is likely desperate to get Arrighetti back in the rotation, but he will need to throw a few bullpens first before being cleared for a rehab assignment. An early July return feels likely.

The 25-year-old right-hander has been shelved since early April when he suffered a fractured right thumb after being struck by a line drive. The initial expectation was that he could return in six weeks, but that was six and a half weeks ago and he hasn’t even started throwing the ball yet. Even if he avoids any setbacks, it would be surprising to see him return before the end of June.

Arrighetti suffered a broken right thumb when he was hit by a line drive while playing catch in the outfield during batting practice on Monday. If he is able to reach that optimistic timeframe, he could be back in the Astros’ rotation before the end of May. Fantasy managers in leagues that don’t feature an injured list may have some tough decisions to make on whether or not to cut bait or wait it out.

Arrighetti will instead be in a cast for up to two and a half weeks, and then the right-hander will undergo imaging on the thumb to see how much heeling has taken place. No procedure means Arrighetti has a chance to return at some point this summer, but fantasy managers should be prepared to be without him for the long haul, even if that means cutting bait.

It’s unclear how much time Arrighetti will miss at the moment, but fantasy managers should anticipate a lengthy absence. The 25-year-old righty was hit by a line drive while playing catch in left field during batting practice prior to Monday’s game at T-Mobile Park in Seattle. His absence creates a significant problem for Houston’s razor-thin pitching depth. It’ll likely be either Tanner Gordon or A.J. Blubaugh coming up from Triple-A Sugar Land to take the ball on Friday against the Angels unless the club decides to bring in another arm from outside the organization.

Astros manager Joe Espada told reporters Arrighetti was playing catch in left field while the Mariners were taking batting practice when he was struck on his pitching hand by a line drive in what can only be described as a freak accident. The 25-year-old right-hander obviously won’t make his next scheduled start on Friday against the Angels. The Astros failed to divulge how much time they expect him to miss in a team statement on the incident, but fantasy managers should anticipate a lengthy absence. It’s a crushing blow to Houston’s razor-thin starting pitching depth. A.J. Blubaugh and Colton Gordon are among the primary candidates at Triple-A Sugar Land to fill his rotation spot.

Arrighetti was all over the place from a command standpoint early on as he struggled to find the strike zone. Things went completely haywire in the fourth inning when he was tagged for five runs in the frame. He hit Byron Buxton with a pitch and walked Trevor Larnach before Jose Altuve’s fielding error let in a run. Things spiraled even further when Arrighetti coughed up a three-run blast to Jose Miranda. He finished with three walks and three strikeouts. He’ll attempt to turn things around on Friday when he faces the division-rival Angels at home.

The lone run came in the sixth. With one out and Jose Siri on third, Juan Soto hit a harmless comebacker. Arrighetti grabbed it, looked Siri back and then made a soft toss to first. Siri used the opportunity to take off and beat Christian Walker’s throw home. Aside from that, Arrighetti was sterling in striking out five and walking two. He’ll take on the Twins next weekend.

That’s 16 walks in 17 innings for Arrighetti this spring, though he also struck out 20 and wound up with a 3.71 ERA. Some of the pressure is off the sophomore in light of Luis Garcia’s setback. The Astros might still get Lance McCullers back in late April, but he could take Hayden Wesneski’s spot unless Arrighetti is really struggling.