The Houston Astros made a bullpen swap Sunday, sending right-hander Kai-Wei Teng down to Triple-A Sugar Land and bringing right-hander Miguel Ullola back up ahead of the series finale against the Chicago White Sox.
This is Ullola’s second trip to the majors this season. He debuted in late June, tossing four scoreless innings, and has worked multiple frames in both of his major-league appearances, giving Houston another option to cover innings after a heavy workload for its bullpen.
“He’s one of those guys that has been fresh, throwing the ball really well,” manager Joe Espada said, explaining that the move was about getting fresh arms into the bullpen. He added that the goal for Teng in the minors is to sharpen his fastball and sweeper location.
Teng worked two innings Friday, marking his second appearance after returning from the injured list with a right knee sprain. He owns a 4.35 ERA across more than 68 innings this season. Teng spent the first part of the year in Houston’s rotation, making 10 starts, before shifting to the bullpen after his return from the injured list. He will continue working in relief at Triple-A.
The move comes after a taxing stretch for Houston’s pitching staff. The bullpen covered eight innings Friday after Spencer Arrighetti exited with an injury that landed him on the injured list the following day, then relied on three relievers again Saturday despite Hunter Brown’s seven strong innings. Bryan King was already recalled before Saturday’s game, giving Houston multiple fresh arms available heading into Sunday’s finale.
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