Astros lose one of the hearts of their bullpen
Prior to their April 8th game against the Seattle Mariners, the Houston Astros and Atlanta Braves agreed to a deal to send Astros reliever Rafael Montero and cash to Atlanta for a player to be named later. The Braves now become the fifth team for Montero to pitch on, previously pitching with the Rangers, Mets and Mariners.
Through the first 10 games of the season, Montero is tied for third on the team in relief appearances with three, going four innings and surrendering two runs on three hits and two walks and adding five strikeouts. Montero is currently in the final year of his three-year contract he signed with the club back in 2023.
During his five years with the Astros, Montero has been one of the biggest helps to the Astros bullpen, appearing in 187 games over those years with a 3.82 ERA over 184 innings. His best season came in 2022 when he helped lead the Astros to a World Series win, appearing in 10 games in the postseason and only allowing two runs.
As a corresponding move to go along with the trade, the Astros are recalling left-handed pitcher Bennett Sousa from Triple-A Sugar Land to take Montero’s spot on the active roster. He will officially be activated tomorrow following the conclusion of tonight’s game.