According to Footer.

"According to Alyson Footer via Twitter, the Astros released pitcher Russ Ortiz.  Ortiz's nine earned run drubbing today was apparently the last straw, as his ERA rose to 5.57.  The Astros had signed Ortiz to a minor league deal in January and named him the fifth starter in April."

link from MLBTradeRumors

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2009/07/astros-release-russ-ortiz.html

Finally. Dude kept getting hammered. He could have been kept on as a long reliever but he probably wouldn't have agreed to that. Seemed to have a pretty high opinion of himself. Oh well. It was a good idea but didn't really work out the way Ed Wade had planned.