Padres trade pitcher to Houston Astros

The Houston Astros lost two pitchers to Tommy John surgery in two days and were in desperate need of help. So they turned to the San Diego Padres for a trade on Tuesday.

Minor league pitcher Nick Hernandez was acquired by Houston in exchange for cash considerations. The trade is a homecoming of sorts for the 29-year-old right-hander, who hails from the Houston area and was drafted by the Astros in the eighth round in 2016 out of the University of Houston.

The Astros selected him to their major league roster on Wednesday.

Hernandez made his major league debut last season, pitching two games for San Diego, allowing four runs in three innings. He has a 3.03 ERA in 228 minor league appearances, all but one in relief. He has been excellent with Triple-A El Paso this season, posting a 1.90 ERA in 17 outings. He struck out 34 percent of the batters he faced and walked just 9 percent.

In his first stint with the Astros organization, he pitched five seasons in the minor leagues and spent most of 2022 with Triple-A Sugar Land before becoming a minor league free agent after the season.

While the Astros need him with the big league club immediately, Hernandez still has a full list of options, meaning the Astros could move him between Houston and Sugar Land after adding him to their roster. 26 players Wednesday.