Mar 15, 2021; West Palm Beach, Florida, USA; Houston Astros starting pitcher Jose Urquidy (65) delivers a pitch in the 1st inning of the spring training game against the Miami Marlins at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
The Houston Astros might’ve seen a perfect five innings from Jose Urquidy in a 3-0 win over the Washington Nationals, but they also received a request from non-roster invite Steve Cishek to be released. The two headlines naturally coincide within the same time frame, but as the organization couldn’t fit Cichek at the major league level, he asked to be released from his minor league contract instead of sitting at the alternative training site.