HEADLINE

Astros’ Greinke (arm soreness) out for Game 3 start

Field Level Media

October 07, 2020 at 2:25 am.

The Houston Astros, just one win away from their fourth consecutive trip to the American League Championship Series, were dealt a blow Tuesday as starter Zack Greinke was shelved for Wednesday’s Game 3 against the Oakland Athletics because of arm soreness.

The veteran right-hander was originally slated to pitch Wednesday’s potential series clincher, but Astros manager Dusty Baker told reporters after Houston’s 5-2 win in Game 2 on Tuesday that Greinke is experiencing enough difficulties to keep him sidelined.

Instead of Greinke (3-3, 4.03 ERA in 12 starts this season) starting on Wednesday, two weeks shy of his 37th birthday, right-hander Jose Urquidy (1-1, 2.73) will take the mound with the Astros leading the best-of-five series 2-0.

Following Houston’s victory Tuesday, Greinke performed a brief on-field workout that included approximately 15 pitches from flat ground and not close to full intensity, according to ESPN. Greinke was then seen consulting with Astros pitching coach Rick Strom before departing the field.

The Houston Chronicle reported that Greinke, a six-time All-Star, has undergone tests in hopes of detecting the cause of the discomfort that has seemingly affected him over the last month.

Greinke struggled in September by going just 1-3 with a 6.08 ERA in five starts — causing his ERA to rise from 2.68 to 4.03 in the final month of the regular season.

Including his opening-round playoff start at Minnesota on Sept. 29, when he lasted only four innings (one run, two hits allowed) in a 4-1 Astros win, Greinke has not gone more than five innings in any of his last four starts.

The loss of Greinke, the 2009 AL Cy Young Award winner and two-time ERA champion, is unwelcome news for the Astros’ starting rotation, which is already coping with the loss of Justin Verlander, who underwent Tommy John surgery last week and will be out for 12-14 months.

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