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The starting pitching at Triple-A Fresno is hurting, the current team ERA is 5.68. The Grizzlies are skipping Francis Martes start. Brady Rodgers had Tommy John surgery, and the team has already brought back old friend David Martinez.
The Astros have now turned to Atlantic League for another arm. Houston has purchased the contract for New Britain Bees RHP Case Coleman, reports Houston Chronicle’s Jake Kaplan.
The Astros purchased the contract of RHP Casey Coleman from the Atlantic League's New Britain Bees. He goes to Triple-A Fresno.
— Jake Kaplan (@jakemkaplan) May 2, 2017
Coleman, 29, was drafted out of Florida Gulf Coast in the 15th round of the 2008 MLB Draft. He reached Double-A in 2009 and spent the next seven years bouncing between Triple-A and the majors with the Cubs, Royals, Mariners, and, Royals.
In the minors, he was 54-31 with a 3.65 ERA in 234 games (90 starts). At the top level, he was 8-13 with a 5.72 ERA in 58 games (26 starts). Coleman’s most recent major season was in 2014 with the Royals, he was 1-0 with a 5.25 ERA in 10 games.
Coleman was 0-1 with a 2.61 ERA in two starts with Bees in 2017. He struck out seven and walked two over 10 1⁄3 innings, he pitched six scoreless innings in April 27th start against the Lancaster Barnstormers.
Coleman sported four pitches, a fastball, slider, changeup, and a curveball. The Astros system has had plenty of success building up pitchers with a nice curveball (McHugh, McCullers, etc.). But Coleman’s offering won’t light the world on fire.
What Coleman is at the moment is a stop gap to prevent the Astros from pushing prospects up to Triple-A ahead of schedule. Don’t expect to Coleman in the majors anytime soon.