4 years agoHouston Astros right-handed pitcher Josh James made two shaky starts to kick off 2020 and manager Dusty Baker announced Wednesday that he would be heading to the bullpen for the time being. James has walked a Major League-high 11 batters in his six innings this year, and with Houston’s bullpen trying to keep itself above water due to injuries, the move should allow James to settle into a role that he became accustomed to last season. In 61 ⅓ innings last year, James struck out a whopping 100 batters with his .176 xBA ranking inside of the top-1 percentile in the Majors. Owners will want to give James time to find his footing out of relief, but should he excel, he could be a candidate to eventually take over closer’s duties due to his track record of success.--Jesse Borek
Source: Brian McTaggart