Houston Astros Star Reliever Nearing Return After His Stint on Injured List

The Houston Astros are getting closer to having their star reliever back as he nears his return from the injured list.

Aug 7, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Houston Astros relief pitcher Ryan Pressly (55) in action during the game between the Texas Rangers and the Houston Astros at Globe Life Field / Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

When the Houston Astros reunited with Hector Neris after he was surprisingly released by the Chicago Cubs, that move was as much to solidify the backend of their bullpen for the stretch run as it was to mitigate the loss felt by Ryan Pressly being on the injured list.

With the Astros now on top of the AL West standings, they're looking to ensure they get into the playoffs by winning another division title.

They also know how fleeting health can be, seemingly fighting uphill battles when it comes to the availability of their pitching staff all year.

But now that Justin Verlander has returned, the hope is their newly formed six-man rotation will be able to carry them through the rest of the regular season until they get their first playoff series started.

For Houston to make another deep run, though, they'll need their bullpen healthy.

That's why it's great news that Pressly is nearing his return after being on the injured list since Aug. 14 with a lower back strain.

"We'll see if he needs to see some hitters or not but I don't think it should be an issue to activate him after the IL stint ends," manager Joe Espada said per Matt Kawahara of The Houston Chronicle.

Pressly is eligible to return on Aug. 29, and after responding well following his bullpen sessions, the hope is he won't need to go on a rehab stint in the minors before he's back in the mix for the Astros.

Having him available will be huge for this unit.

The long-time closer struggled in his setup role to start the year when they added Josh Hader, but since beginning the season with an ERA over 5.00 through May, he posted back-to-back months with an ERA under 3.00 before he was placed on the injured list.