Name an injured Houston Astros pitcher and they were probably playing catch before Monday’s game with the Atlanta Braves.
The Athletic reported that Luis Garcia, Lance McCullers Jr., Penn Murfee and José Urquidy all played catch on Monday. A fifth, Framber Valdez, joined in, even though he wasn’t scheduled to play catch until Tuesday.
Valdez is the pitcher that is the closest to returning. He went on the 15-day injured list last week with soreness in his left elbow. He told reporters last weekend that he didn’t have an MRI and doesn’t believe he’ll need to go on a rehab assignment when he is eligible to return from the injured list on Sunday.