TODAY: The Astros announced Ullola’s promotion prior to today’s game, and Teng was optioned to Triple-A.
JUNE 27: Right-hander Miguel Ullola is getting his first look in the majors. The Astros are recalling the pitching prospect for his big-league debut, reports Chandler Rome of The Athletic.
Ullola was added to the 40-man roster in November to protect him from the Rule 5 draft, so no move is needed there. A 26-man roster change will be required, and Rome adds that right-hander Kai-Wei Teng is likely involved. Teng failed to make it out of the fourth inning against the Tigers today. He was charged with four earned runs on eight hits. The righty is one of just a few Houston arms with minor league options remaining (and the realistic possibility of being demoted).
After bouncing between the rotation and the bullpen, Ullola was moved to a full-time relief role earlier this season. Persistent control issues led the Astros to make that decision. Ullola has posted a walk rate above 13% at every minor league stop, including a 16.4% mark at Triple-A this year. He hasn’t curtailed the free passes since moving to the bullpen, walking six in 10 innings.
The 24-year-old Ullola has shown considerable strikeout ability at each level with an expansive five-pitch arsenal. He’s punched out minor league opponents at a 30% clip across 47 2/3 innings this year. Ullola sits in the mid-90s with the fastball, which he’s thrown about half the time with Sugar Land. He’s only used the changeup on 5.7% of his offerings, but he’s thrown the slider, cutter, and curveball at least 10% of the time.
Unsurprisingly, Ullola has trimmed his arsenal since moving to the bullpen. He’s leaned on the four-seamer, which has averaged 96 mph since the role change. Ullola has mixed in the slider and cutter, while largely ditching the curveball and changeup.
If Teng does get sent down, the Astros are likely headed back to a traditional five-man rotation. After Mike Burrows was briefly bumped to the bullpen, he returned to the rotation, which meant Houston briefly transitioned to a six-man look. Part of the shuffling had to do with reincorporating ace Hunter Brown, who returned in mid-June after missing more than two months with a shoulder injury. Teng showed flashes in a multi-faceted role, particularly in terms of strikeouts, but struggled with efficiency after becoming a starter.
Photo courtesy of Reinhold Matay, Imagn Images
