The Astros announced that right-hander Tayler Scott has been placed on the 15-day injured list due to a thoracic spine strain. The placement is retroactive to Sept. 18. Seth Martinez was called up from Triple-A in the corresponding move.
Signed to a minor-league contract last winter, Scott has been an underrated gem of an acquisition for Houston’s front office. The righty has a 2.23 ERA and 25.2% strikeout rate over 68 2/3 innings, as well as an elite 3.5% barrel rate. While he has had a lot of problems avoiding the free pass (12.4% walk rate), Scott has unexpectedly emerged to make the third-most appearances of any Astros pitcher this season.
These numbers were even better before Scott ran into difficulties over his last five outings, with a 6.35 ERA amassed in those 5 2/3 innings of work. It seems quite possible that his injury contributed to this recent downturn in form, and the spinal strain has now ended his regular season. More will be known about Scott’s status later Saturday when manager Joe Espada meets with the media, but it certainly seems possible that Scott’s readiness for the Astros’ postseason rosters could be in jeopardy.
His first career playoff appearance would be the icing on the cake for the 32-year-old Scott, who has now established himself in his fourth Major League season. Scott had only a 9.00 ERA in 46 career MLB innings prior to this year, all amassed with six different teams during the 2019, 2022, and 2023 seasons. (Scott pitched for the Hiroshima Carp of Nippon Professional Baseball in 2020-21). Despite his age, Scott doesn’t have enough MLB service time to qualify for salary arbitration until the 2025-26 offseason, and the Astros control his rights through the 2028 campaign.