Since being dealt to the Astros in a trade that sent right-hander Peyton Battenfield and outfielder Cal Stevenson to the Rays in January 2020, Austin Pruitt has yet to appear in a Major League game.

But he’s hopeful that will change soon. The righty, who has been sidelined since he underwent right elbow surgery in September 2020 to repair a hairline fracture, joined Houston for its first game vs. the Orioles to toss a side session before heading to Triple-A Sugar Land.

“To be here in Baltimore is honestly awesome,” said Pruitt. “I've been sitting in Florida for so long trying to get back [and I’ve] had some tough days along the way for sure. You don't get to talk with people as much as you'd like to just because everyone here is doing their thing. It feels amazing to see everybody and kind of catch up.”

Houston GM James Click knows that rehabbing from an injury can make someone feel disconnected from their team, especially one that is so new to them.

“The main thing is [Pruitt] feels good -- everything’s good,” said Click in an appearance on SportsTalk 790. “The stuff has looked as it should. He’s got the fastball in the low 90s that he commands very well. [I want to] get [pitching coach Brent Strom] and the guys -- get their eyes on him. He’s moving along on that rehab calendar. He’s pushing his way back to the big leagues.”

Though Pruitt is feeling good, he admitted that the rehab process is taking longer than he would like, and he's eager to get back to the point where he is able to compete for his team and feel good after throwing. Since making his Major League debut in 2017, Pruitt has appeared in 67 games and owns a 4.87 ERA.

“This is my first kind of surgery in a long time,” said Pruitt. “I had shoulder surgery back in college but this is, I guess, I don't know if it's a major surgery or not, but a setback for sure. I thought I was going to be back maybe a little bit sooner. But man, it's been a long road and it's been pretty brutal. But I’m starting to feel a bit better and I couldn't be happier about it.”

Sugar Land sluggers
No, it isn’t a football score. With a 24-15 victory on Sunday, the Astros’ Triple-A affiliate set multiple franchise records in its defeat of the El Paso Chihuahuas, the Padres' Triple-A team. The Skeeters scored a franchise-high 24 runs -- the second-most by a Minor League team this season -- and that wasn’t the only record set in the win.

Jake Meyers smacked three of the team’s seven homers on the night, setting a Sugar Land franchise record. Outfielder Bryan De La Cruz added to the offensive effort, also recording a multi-homer game.

The Skeeters’ 23 hits were the second-most by a Triple-A team this season and a season-high for the team. Both Meyers and C.J. Hinojosa recorded four hits in the game -- the first two to reach that feat this season.