Urquidy avoids worst, to resume throwing in 10-15 days

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Astros right-hander José Urquidy, who’s set to start the season on the injured list because of a forearm strain, was relieved to find out an MRI performed on his right arm recently showed no structural damage to his ulnar collateral ligament. Urquidy said he got opinions from multiple doctors and everyone was on the same page.

“We took a look at everything inside the elbow and the ligament was fine, very normal,” he said. “Part of the muscle looks kind of white, which means inflammation. … I have to take out the inflammation and start doing rehab exercises with my fingers and throw a medicine ball this weekend and see how I feel. I’m happy with that.”

Urquidy was diagnosed with a forearm strain and hopes to be able to pick up a baseball and resume throwing in 10-15 days, which was a best-case scenario for him. That still won’t be enough time for him to get ready for the regular season and he’ll begin the year on the injured list.

During a Minor League game on March 15, Urquidy stopped throwing after 43 pitches because he felt tightness in his forearm. He flew to Houston a day later to undergo an MRI.

“Everything was fine,” he said. “There was a lot of inflammation in the forearm. I’m doing very hard treatment right now with the medicine and I’m feeling way better than three days ago. If I’m still like that, I’m planning to throw a medicine ball this weekend and start throwing next week.”

Urquidy went 3-3 with a 5.29 ERA in 16 games (10 starts) in the regular season last year and spent three months on the injured list with right shoulder discomfort. He had been throwing well this spring, allowing one earned run across nine innings with six strikeouts to no walks and nine hits in four Grapefruit League starts.

Astros remain high on Cabbage
Among Tuesday’s roster cuts at Astros’ camp was infielder/outfielder Trey Cabbage, acquired from the Angels in a late January trade. Cabbage was 4-for-36 with one homer and 17 strikeouts (no walks) in Grapefruit League play. He was optioned to Minor League camp and will start the season at Triple-A, where he excelled last year in the Pacific Coast League.

“Towards the end, [his at-bats] were better,” manager Joe Espada said. “I wish there were better results, but my conversations with him went well. He understands and he knows that he just needs every day at-bats. We believe in him, his ability, his speed, power. Versatility is something we really like and giving him every day at-bats to try to tap into that talent is something that we need to do.”

Cabbage, a left-handed hitter, was battling for a spot on Houston’s bench with Jon Singleton and Grae Kessinger, who’s been shut down because of a hamstring strain. In 22 games with the Angels last year, Cabbage hit .208/.232/.321 (.553 OPS) with one homer, three doubles and seven RBIs.

Cabbage turned heads, though, with his performance at Triple-A Salt Lake in the hitter-friendly PCL. He slashed .306/.379/.596 (.975 OPS) with 30 homers, 89 RBIs, 25 doubles and 32 stolen bases, showing off a power-speed combination that intrigued the Astros.

Bielak rises in depth chart as injuries pile up
Astros pitcher Brandon Bielak threw 62 pitches in Tuesday’s game against the Marlins at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches, allowing one earned run and four hits in four innings. Bielak said he felt strong enough to have pitched another inning on a cool night.

Bielak has a 5.56 ERA in 11 1/3 innings this spring and is getting stretched out in case the Astros need him as a starter. He’s out of options this year, meaning he’d have to clear waivers if he’s optioned to the Minor Leagues, helping his chances of making the club.

“To be honest, I’m just kind of pitching for a job still,” he said. “I’m not sure if it’s going to be in the bullpen or as a starter. Before Spring Training started, they told me, ‘Hey, we want you coming in as a reliever, but things can happen in Spring Training and we can build you back up.’ Here we are.”

With Urquidy and Justin Verlander set to start the season on the injured list, Bielak is rising on the team’s pitching depth chart. He’s still probably pegged as a long reliever, but he’s also an option to make some starts.

“To be able to do both, I think it’s a plus for me, honestly, to be able to fulfill both roles, [when] they need a spot start or start all year,” he said.

Bielak’s focus this spring is on throwing first-pitch strikes, which he didn’t do very well last year. Of pitchers with at least 50 innings last year, he was second-to-last in the Major Leagues with 51.1 percent first-pitch strikes.

“Obviously, strike one is the most important pitch,” he said. “It sets you up for a good at-bat, so that’s probably the biggest one I’m focused on this spring.”