Armenteros to get another turn in rotation

ANAHEIM -- It’s mostly a matter of circumstance, but Rogelio Armenteros will get another turn in the Astros’ rotation against the Rangers this weekend.

It’s not that Armenteros wasn’t effective in the first appearance of his second Major League stint, as he allowed just one unearned run in four innings of the Astros’ 7-2 loss to the Angels on Tuesday. Manager AJ Hinch even praised the right-hander for restoring order after opener Hector Rondon surrendered six first-inning runs.

“I thought Armenteros did a good job of settling us down and getting us to the latter part of the game,” said Hinch.

However, as Hinch revealed before Wednesday’s game, the Astros’ plan was always to give Armenteros the start Sunday at home regardless of how he performed. Simply put, there’s not much of anyone else available. Subpar starting depth, a volatile fifth-starter situation and Brad Peacock’s lingering shoulder injury have left Houston with a three-man rotation (Justin Verlander, Gerrit Cole and Wade Miley), which is less than ideal when trying to get through a stretch of 14 games with no off-days.

Even calling up Armenteros, Houston's No. 20 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, was something of an act of desperation, as it meant him pitching on just three days’ rest. In spite of that, he was reasonably sharp in holding the Angels to two hits and one walk while striking out three, needing 71 pitches to get through his outing.

With the July 31 Trade Deadline exactly two weeks away, a trade for at least one starting pitcher will be of utmost importance for Houston. In the meantime, Armenteros, 25, is doing what he can with the opportunity he’s gotten after spending parts of five seasons in the Astros’ Minor League system.

“It’s definitely important for me and for my career,” Armenteros said through an interpreter. “I’ve spent my time in the Minor Leagues developing as a starter, and I’d like to do that here at the big leagues as well.”