Astros’ Jake Bloss has shoulder inflammation, no structural damage

An MRI showed “small inflammation” in Bloss’ throwing shoulder, Espada said. Bloss won’t throw until the inflammation goes away and he can start playing catch again. Houston placed Bloss on the 15-day injured list on Saturday.

Espada called it “good news” for the young right-hander. Bloss, who turned 23 on Sunday, was called up from Double-A to make his debut against the Orioles on Friday. He pitched 3 2/3 innings before leaving the game with a trainer in the middle of an at-bat after 79 pitches.

The Astros don’t need a fifth starter until an upcoming series in Toronto due to off days, but Espada said he wants to add a fifth starter for the previous series in New York to lessen the impact on the rest of the rotation.

It’s unclear who they will add. The Astros have four healthy starters on their 40-man roster, all in their current rotation. By calling Bloss, they bypassed several other options at Triple-A. Justin Verlander, on 15-day IL with a neck ailment, is eligible to return July 1 but is still not allowed to pitch.

When asked if Houston would consider a bullpen game at some point, Espada made the idea unlikely.

“It’s always in consideration,” Espada said. “But it’s going to take a lot to make that happen.”