Astros news: Brad Peacock back on IL

Houston Astros right-handed pitcher Brad Peacock is returning to the IL after recently just coming off of it. Peacock is dealing with a shoulder issue.

The Houston Astros have placed right-hander Brad Peacock on the Injured List just 10 days after he had been activated from a previous IL stint:

Brad Peacock back on the IL with right shoulder discomfort: "Same stuff I've been going through pretty much the whole year. Went and got an MRI this morning. Haven't heard anything yet." pic.twitter.com/Ibo40jstv6

— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) August 28, 2019

Peacock was given the same designation when he was placed on IL at the end of June, but it does not seem as though the time off has done him any favors:

Brad Peacock is going back on the IL because of his shoulder. His velocity’s been down in his three outings since he was activated.

— Jake Kaplan (@jakemkaplan) August 28, 2019

Indeed, Peacock has seen a decrease in fastball velocity for the season, as he went from an average heater of 93.4 mph in 2018 to 92.8 mph in 2019, according to FanGraphs.

The 31-year-old broke out with the Astros in 2017, making 21 starts and 34 total appearances to the tune of 132 innings and a 3.00 ERA. Peacock also appeared in four games during the World Series, throwing 7 1/3 innings and posting a 2.45 ERA as the Astros won their first Fall Classic in franchise history.

Peacock was used almost exclusively out of the bullpen last season, posting a 13.3 K/9 and a sterling 2.40 Skill Interactive ERA (SIERA).

However, with the Astros losing Charlie Morton to free agency and Lance McCullers Jr. to Tommy John surgery, the Astros reinserted Peacock into the rotation. Early on, the results were pretty good.

Peacock had a solid April in which he held opponents to a .598 OPS, then a dominant May where he went 3-1 with a 2.76 ERA in six starts. However, Peacock gave up eight homers in June as the shoulder discomfort began to settle in, and clearly has not been quite right since his first stint on IL.

The Astros added Zack Greinke to the rotation, but they could use Peacock in the bullpen given Ryan Pressly's prolonged absence. The team will await results on the MRI before making a further designation on Peacock's status.