The Houston Astros’ playoff dreams came crashing down on Saturday, but one player didn’t last long enough on the roster to see it happen.
Though Houston defeated the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday evening, wins by the Cleveland Guardians and Detroit Tigers guaranteed that the Astros would miss out on the playoffs for the first time since 2016. Coincidentally, 2016 was also the year Houston drafted right-handed pitcher Nick Hernandez.
Hernandez has had a roundabout big-league career. An eighth-round pick out of the University of Houston, he played in the minors with the Astros until 2022, when he elected free agency. He signed with the San Diego Padres and made his big-league debut in 2023, and the following offseason, he was shipped back to the Astros in a trade.
Since then, he’d been bouncing up and down between Houston and (mostly) Triple-A Sugar Land. On Saturday, though, Hernandez and the Astros may have parted ways for good.
Before the game against the Angels, the Astros designated Hernandez for assignment, which could mark the end of nine total years in the organization. The corresponding move was to activate veteran righty Lance McCullers Jr., who had been on the 15-day injured list and is scheduled to start the series finale on Sunday.
The 30-year-old Hernandez made 10 appearances for the Astros in the majors this season, including five after he was recalled from Triple-A on Sept. 10. His overall ERA was 5.06, with 11 strikeouts but three home runs allowed in 10 2/3 innings.
In eight seasons of minor-league action, Hernandez has totaled a 2.91 ERA, and he held opposing batters to a .156 batting average in Triple-A this season. But in a crowded Astros bullpen, he never got a serious look at the big-league level.
Perhaps that look will come elsewhere, but unless he re-signs on a minor-league deal this offseason, it’s hard to envision the Astros prioritizing Hernandez during the offseason, as his 40-man roster spot (which he no longer has) would likely be used elsewhere.
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