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Houston Astros: Team needs to monitor Chris Devenski’s innings

By Joe Fernandez

SEATTLE, WA - JUNE 24: Reliever Chris Devenski
SEATTLE, WA - JUNE 24: Reliever Chris Devenski /
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The Houston Astros have a super reliever in their bullpen known as Chris Devenski, AKA the Dragon or Devo. Devenski has had a career year that earned him his first all-star selection and could be to the Astros what Andrew Miller was to the Cleveland Indians in last year’s playoffs.

Which is why the Houston Astros need to start easing the burden that is on Devenski as the second half continues on. Overuse of the bullpen can really come back to haunt you in the post season.

Astros fans don’t need to look too far back in the history books to see how a tired bullpen can cost you a playoff series and nearly a playoff spot. In 2015, the bullpen was lights out. In August of that year, despite struggling to a 15-14 record that month, the team posted a 2.61 ERA. Best in the majors during that time frame.

Then in September, the wheels came off. The team posted a 4.48 ERA and went 11-16 as the bullpen especially could not keep it together. Will Harris had been phenomenal all season long until September when he went from a 1.40 ERA to a 1.90 ERA for the year as he had a 4.15 ERA in September, and well, we all saw his struggles in October (Game four…sigh.) Perhaps the reason being he threw 71 innings in 2015 and he’d never pitched more than 52.2 innings in a season and the previous year he had only pitched 29 and was overworked.

But the whole back end of the bullpen was to blame that year. In the month of September, Luke Gregerson pitched to a 4.50 ERA , Chad Qualls posted a 6.14 ERA and Pat Neshek threw for a 7.36 ERA. Tony Sipp (Oh for the days when we used to be able to say this) was the only consistent one as he posted a 1.13 ERA in that month.

The point being, guys in the bullpen get tired at the end of the year. And right now, Chris Devenski leads all relievers in the major leagues in innings pitched with 58.1.

And perhaps it’s starting to show a little as in each of Devenski’s last three appearances, he’s given up a solo home run.  Let’s also not forget that in his final appearance before the all-star break, he got tuned up by the Toronto Blue Jays for four runs in an inning before getting those much needed six days off.

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With the huge lead the Houston Astros have on the rest of the American League, it would behoove them to really be selective about when they use those bullpen arms that they’ll need come October.  Chris Devenski is pitching his first full season in the majors exclusively out of the bullpen.

He gets used for mulitple innings one night, takes a couple days off, then pitches in back-to-back games, and the team needs to now slow their use of him if they want him to be effective for the playoffs. We do not want to see a repeat of 2015, so whatever A.J. Hinch can do to make sure these relievers get some more time sitting on the pine in the back half of the ball game the better.

The return of Dallas Keuchel will certainly help with that. But if there’s one bullpen arm we need more than anyone else in the post season, it will be Devenski. His versatility, ability to pitch to hitters on both sides of the plate, and bulldog mentality will go a long way for us.

Next: Injury bug beginning to bite offense now

We saw in the playoffs last year how valuable a reliever like Devenski can be. Andrew Miller was the 2016 ALCS MVP because of how useful he was, even though he wasn’t the closer. That could be Devenski for us this year. And the team now needs to be cognizant of how much he is used, so he’ll still have something left in the tank for October. When we will need him most.

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