An Improved Mike Burrows Might Be Coming to the Astros

The Houston Astros may need the services of Mike Burrows down the stretch of their divisional race. Burrows continues to pitch well in a rehab stint for Triple-A Sugar Land.

Burrows' Time With The Astros

Burrows was on the Astros' active roster for the first 93 games of the season. He came into the season as someone the Astros thought they could count on, but faltered in his starts. He pitched to a 5.99 ERA and a 1.53 WHIP with a 5.62 FIP. His strikeout numbers, which hovered right around one per inning last year (24.1%), fell off. He recorded 75 strikeouts in 94.2 innings with a rate of 17.7%.

Burrows’ last start before he was sent down amounted to a small disaster. He allowed 10 runs, seven earned, in 4.1 innings against the Nationals on July 6. The Astros would go on to lose the game 12-11. Houston only required Burrows to pitch marginally better to record an Astros win.

Struggling Innings Eater

Mike Burrows (50) is removed from the game. — Houston Astros pitcher Mike Burrows (50) Credit: Brad Mills-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Burrows averaged 16.5 outs per start in his time on the big-league club. This is not a terrible number based on the output the Astros have been getting recently. But his 4-9 record and high ERA told a bigger story. Unlike most Astros’ pitching, his stint with Houston wasn’t worsened by a high walk rate.

His walk count came out to a respectable 8.3% compared to the major league average of 9.0% and the Astros' elevated average of 10.7%, which is the second-worst in baseball, only a touch behind the Angels.

Sugar Land Success

After some time on the injured list with right elbow neuritis, Mike Burrows was sent to see if he could fix things with a rehab stint at the Triple-A level. Burrows returned to the mound on Aug. 14 against Round Rock. He threw 4.1 innings of scoreless baseball, allowing just three hits and walking only one. Next start, Burrows went 4.2 innings with just one hit allowed against Oklahoma City on Aug. 20. He fanned five in the outing.

Across a pair of rehab appearances for Sugar Land, Burrows has pitched 9.0 innings without allowing a run, giving up just four hits and striking out nine. The Waterford, Conn. native should be returning to the major league roster soon. If his short time in Sugar Land is any indication, we can expect a well-rested and stronger Burrows to return. He has a chance to finish the year living up to the high expectations set for him this offseason.

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