The Astros optioned right-hander AJ Blubaugh to Triple-A prior to today’s game against the Orioles, and called up left-hander John Rooney to provide the bullpen with a fresh arm. Rooney was already on Houston’s 40-man roster, so the Blubaugh demotion was the only corresponding move necessary.
Rooney is on the mound at the time of this post, and thus the 28-year-old is now officially a Major League player. A third-round pick for the Dodgers back in the 2018 draft, Rooney spent his whole pro career in the Los Angeles farm system until 2025, when he joined the Marlins as a minor league free agent.
Miami then dealt Rooney to Houston earlier this month, and he has a 2.56 ERA and a 34.2% strikeout rate over 38 2/3 combined innings with the Marlins’ and Astros’ Triple-A affiliates. Those impressive numbers came with the downside of a 14.9% walk rate. Rooney has been prone to issuing free passes for most of his career, and a move to full-time bullpen work in 2023 only briefly solved his control issues.
It remains to be seen if Rooney will get anything more than a cup of coffee in the Show, as the Astros have Steven Okert and Bryan King as the primary left-handers in their bullpen. However, the relief corps lost a pair of very prominent southpaws (Josh Hader and Bennett Sousa) to the injured list, and starter Colton Gordon is the only other Triple-A lefty on the 40-man roster. This could open the door for Rooney to get more of an extended look on the active roster if he can produce against MLB hitters.