Deduno to get second turn in Astros' rotation
Club looking to build right-hander's pitch count after his 4-inning spot start
HOUSTON -- Samuel Deduno will get his wish.
Astros manager A.J. Hinch announced the long reliever-turned-spot starter will start Wednesday against Texas on the heels of a strong four-inning outing Friday in a 4-3 win over the Mariners. Following that game, Deduno expressed a desire to further prove his credentials for Houston's unstable fifth spot in the rotation. Now, he'll get his chance.
Against Seattle, the righty pitched four innings, struck out four and pounded the strike zone in a 61-pitch outing.
"It just felt good to be out there, throwing good stuff like my breaking ball, making all your pitches," Deduno said.
Though neither Hinch nor general manager Jeff Luhnow expect Deduno to be a long-term solution, Hinch said they will alter the Dominican native's throwing program in anticipation of longer outings. That's especially important after his short leash on Friday.
"I overreacted by taking him out of the game so quickly," Hinch said. "He had probably 10-15 pitches left in the tank before getting into a real danger zone. But the way our bullpen's been throwing, I really wanted Sammy to leave with a good feeling. I told him when he came out that we'd build him up, we'd try to go a little bit longer next outing."
With the final starting nod still in flux due to Brad Peacock and Brett Oberholtzer's injuries and Asher Wojciechowski's April struggles, it appears Deduno will at least get a fair shot at the gig.