Astros place starter Spencer Arrighetti on 15-day IL with nerve irritation in right foot, recall left-hander Bryan King from Triple-A

Arrighetti exits with foot nerve issue

The Houston Astros placed right-handed starter Spencer Arrighetti on the 15-day injured list Saturday with nerve irritation in his right foot, one night after he faced only four batters in Chicago. Arrighetti, 26, threw 33 pitches in the first inning Friday, allowing three runs on two hits and two walks and hitting two batters. He did not complain of pain during the frame, but after throwing a few warmup pitches for the second inning he stepped off the mound and was met by pitching coach Josh Miller, head athletic trainer Eric Velazquez and manager Joe Espada. He handed the ball to Espada and left without throwing another pitch. Reliever AJ Blubaugh entered and ultimately got the win in a 9-5 Astros victory. Arrighetti said the nerve discomfort between his third and fourth toe began during pregame warmups and that he felt pain "on just about every pitch I threw."

The club had no immediate return timeline. Espada said Arrighetti will fly to Houston for further tests.

“He’s going to fly to Houston. He’s going to see the doctors, so that’s what’s going to be the next move for him.”

A tale of two months

Arrighetti’s sudden exit deepened a two-month slide. He was the American League Pitcher of the Month in May, surrendering only three earned runs in 29 innings. Since then, his production cratered: a 7.88 ERA across his last eight starts, with 22 walks in 40 innings. He also allowed six or more earned runs in three of his final four outings before the All-Star break. Over 17 starts this season, Arrighetti is 7-5 with a 4.60 ERA. In 53 career games (52 starts) since his 2024 debut, his ERA stands at 4.66.

King returns to the bullpen

Houston filled the roster spot by recalling left-handed reliever Bryan King from Triple-A Sugar Land. King, 29, had been optioned on July 19 following a rocky stretch that saw him allow eight runs on 10 hits (including five home runs) over five innings across four appearances. His ERA jumped from 2.03 on July 7 to 3.40. King made one scoreless appearance for Sugar Land before the call-up. Espada said King would be available immediately and that the Astros plan to use him against Chicago’s left-handed hitters.

“There’s a lot of usage here against these guys and deploying him against some of these lefties. So having him around, I think it would be beneficial. We’re gonna’ need him today and tomorrow, so we’ll throw him in there.”

King is 2-3 with six saves and a 3.40 ERA in 42 relief outings this season. Across three major-league seasons, all with Houston, he has a 2.91 ERA in 138 appearances.

Rotation questions before the deadline

Arrighetti’s injury puts further strain on a rotation that entered Friday with baseball’s third-highest ERA. Hayden Wesneski, who is working back from his own injury, made his fifth minor-league rehab start for Sugar Land on Friday and would be a logical fill-in if healthy. General manager Dana Brown has said a left-handed hitting outfielder is the team’s top trade deadline priority, with right-handed relief help also on the radar. A rotation vacancy ten days before the Aug. 3 deadline could shift that focus. The Astros, fighting for the AL West and wild-card spots, may need to add starting depth as well.