Moehler wants to pitch for a playoff team

The possibility of playing on a team going to the post-season is what's driving Brian Moehler.

Moehler:
"The only thing that drives me is making the playoffs," he said. "If I had a ring on my finger, I don't know if I'd play next year, but I've never been to the playoffs. I'd be open to coming back here, because I don't think this team is all that far away at all.

"A lot of the main pieces are in place for this team to be very successful next year. That's something I would be open to. I want to go to the playoffs."

Pause.

Moehler has surgery

Brian Moehler has had surgery in Philadelphia on his lower abdomen and groin. What happens next is anybody's guess...

Brian Moehler done for year, wants to come back

Brian Moehler has elected to have surgery on his lower abdomen September 1 in Philadelphia after feeling discomfort in his first rehab start in Round Rock last night.

Moehler:
“I’d like to play next year, but we’ll see what happens."

With Myers, Wandy (presumably), Happ, Norris, and Paulino/Wright/Lyles, I can't see room for Moehler on the 2011 staff.

Moehler assigned to Round Rock

Sho nuff, Brian Moehler has been assigned to Round Rock for a rehab appearance.

With the possible return of Brian Moehler, will that be enough to keep Jordan Lyles out of Houston until the Spring?

Moehler to pitch rehab starts

So Moehler has a schedule for his rehab starts:

Monday: Throw bullpen session in Houston

Monday night: 60-pitch start in Round Rock (which should get him 2-3 innings).

Tuesday: Rejoin Astros in Philadelphia

Next Sunday: Throw rehab start in San Antonio for Corpus

The rosters expand to 40 a week from this coming Wednesday, so if everything goes well, he will likely be added then.

Moehler set for bullpen session

Brian Moehler will throw a bullpen session today or tomorrow in preparation for a rehab start, should his groin hold up.

Moehler may not be done for the season

Brian McTaggart's afternoon notebook tells us that Brian Moehler's bullpen session was positive enough that he may get some rehab starts before the minor league season ends.

Easy Eddie:
"If he stays on track, we could probably put his rehab schedule together for him. If he moves in a straight line, we'll get him out and get him pitching somewhere."

Meanwhile, Manzella looks like he's going to stay in Round Rock for as long as possible, perhaps - as I believe the Crawfish Boxes noted yesterday - until the rosters expand.

Moehler may be out for season

Bernardo Fallas tells us that the popping Brian Moehler heard in his groin during his simulated game today may end his season.

Moehler:
"It's just frustrating because I had felt really good the last week and felt good throwing bullpens and had been feeling really good today up until that pitch."

Fallas:
The setback leaves open the possibility of Moehler, who will have an MRI in Houston today, being unable to return for what remains of the season.
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And while we're at it, why don't we go ahead and just officially shut down Felipe Paulino, whose shoulder isn't getting any better.

Paulino:
"I've tried every which way to get my shoulder to heal — cortisone injections, rest, anti-inflammatories, even massages - and nothing has worked. It's incredible."

He'll meet with Dr. James Andrews - provided Andrews has fully extracted himself from Brett Favre's colon - next week in Florida for a second opinion.

Moehler's simulated game results in actual pain

Brian Moehler had a simulated game today, supposed to last 45 pitches. He got through 38 of them before feeling a "popping" in his groin, and he's headed to Houston for an MRI.

Apparently there are 24 other players on this roster. What are they doing?

Coming back from injury.

Mills on Moehler, who struggled with command:
"When you haven't thrown in some time, that's going to happen. I think tomorrow is going to be a big day with him, and we'll go forward with that. We'll see how he feels tomorrow, and he'll throw a side on Sunday."

Mills on Fulchino, who threw well:
"We'll see how he feels tomorrow. If he continues to feel well, then Sunday could be a possibility to send him out on a rehab [appearance]."

Manzella on Manzella, who started taking grounders:
"They still could see evidence of the break but it's intact. The way it's been explained to me, it's out of that danger area where I can work around with and it won't injure it any farther. [A team doctor] still thinks it's on that six-week program to get cleared to play in a game."

Anderson/Figueroa about depth and injuries

Within Brian McTaggart's Notebook we see that the waiver claims today of Anderson Hernandez and Nelson Figueroa have more to do with the team today much of anything else.

Wade, on Hernandez:
"He's a good defensive infielder, and our guys have liked him. At one time, he was a pretty significant prospect in the Mets organization. We like his hands and his defensive ability, and he can swing the bat a little bit."

And at one point, I was a prospect as a politician based on my showing in the race for Junior Class Vice President.

Wade, on Figueroa:
"He gives us more depth and experience with the health issues we have right now."

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Mills also says that Wesley Wright should get another start:
"I think with the way he threw yesterday, he deserves another start, if a spot opens up for him to make that start. The way Wes threw the ball last night, a corner has been turned with him putting it together in Round Rock like he did his last three outings. Do we want Wes in the bullpen to have those three lefties in the 'pen, or have Moehler solidify the bullpen a little bit? We'll have to look at who we're facing and see how Moehler is. We have to wait and see how he is first."

Please, please, please. Put Moehler in the bullpen, and let Wright continue to get stretched out as a starter. If they don't do that, then the last year of Wright's career has been wasted.

Paulino's rotator cuff "not catastrophic"

Ed Wade had a few things to say in McTaggart's notebook.

On Paulino:
"It's not good news, but it's not catastrophic. It's a shame because he's thrown so well, and it looked like he had turned a lot of corners this year. He's facing another setback, and he's going to be have to apply himself the same way he did in the offseason and come back as strong as he can."

On the alternatives:
"I'd love to see Wes throw well and give us some alternatives. Brian has done a real good job for us. He's been steady and reliable for us all the way through. Once he's back at 100 percent, he certainly figures back in our situation."

Injury Notes

Here's a compilation of injury notes.

Roy:
"I'll be fine."

Fulchino and Moehler:
On schedule to pitch in a simulated game Friday after both successfully completed side sessions at Wrigley Field. Mills said the pitchers will throw another bullpen session Wednesday. The next step after the simulated game would be a rehab assignment.

Felipe Paulino:
Had his doctor's appointment rescheduled for today. He underwent an MRI on Sunday.

Wandy (not injured, but notable development):
“I felt strong today, but after the fourth, fifth inning, my arm felt heavy. The ball was going up on me.”

Who's taking Moehler's spot?

With Brian Moehler on the DL and Felipe Paulino needing more time to recover, the Astros have some decisions to make. Who comes up to replace him?

Wesley Wright could be a candidate. He's on the 40-man roster, the Astros seem to want him in the rotation at some point, and in his last three starts, he has thrown 16.1IP, 8H/3ER, 15K:7BB. But his last start came on July 15 at Albuquerque. The Astros also may want to keep him in Round Rock for the year, not wanting to burn an option for a spot start.

Josh Banks may be more likely. He hasn't pitched since the All-Star Game on Wednesday night, and his last start before that was on July 8. He's not on the 40-man roster, but hasn't given up more than three earned runs in a start since May 30. That was a rough start in Arlington, but let's take the competition into consideration.

I say Banks comes up. Agree? Disagree?

Paulino might not be making that start, and what's up with Moehler

Felipe Paulino's shoulder tendinitis has flared up, causing some concern among the Apparatus, and it doesn't look like he'll be making that Tuesday start.

Ed Wade:
"We're going to send him back to Houston for an MRI over the weekend. We're going to need a starter for Tuesday who is yet to be determined."

Paulino, on how he felt after his rehab start in Corpus:
“It was hurting so much I could not pick up a glass of water."

This is further complicated by Brian Moehler's placement on the DL - backdated to July 8 - thanks to a groin strain. The Chronicle says this is "in anticipation of a roster move," expected by Sunday.

Stay tuned folks. With Meszaros heading up to Round Rock, someone's coming to Houston.

Domino Effect: Roy Oswalt

So in thinking about possible scenarios should the Astros trade Roy Oswalt, it's a good time to think about the domino effect that would have on the system.

Scenario: Astros trade Roy Oswalt for two minor-leaguers.

Effect #1: The Astros are down a starting pitcher.
Effect #2: This would lead to a rotation of Wandy, Myers, Norris, Paulino, and XXX. This is assuming that the Astros don't get a starting pitcher who would immediately step into the rotation.
Effect #3: Brian Moehler would likely regain SP5.
Effect #3b: If Moehler doesn't take SP5 for some reason, the Astros could add Wesley Wright or Polin Trinidad from Round Rock, as they are the only starters on the 40-man roster already.
Effect #4: Savings in payroll. Trading Roy, even if the Astros take on half of his contract, would free up approximately $12 million. Given that the Astros will likely have a higher draft pick in 2011 than 2010, $12 million is handy.
Effect #5: It's a visible sign that anything goes on the roster. If Roy goes, Lance could follow, and Myers is more likely to head out. That would lead to a longer list of effects which will be breached later.

What are we missing in this list?

McTaggart has a bucketful of notes

In McTaggart's notebook today we see a few things:

Moehler isn't worried about his groin:
"It's nothing that I'm overly concerned about. As far as the timing, it couldn't have come at a better time. I'll have four days off and four days after that [for the All-Star break], and if I do start again, it's going to be on the back end of the rotation, so that's another four days."

Everyone's really excited about Ariel Ovando. Right, Wade?
"Four different scouting reports say this kid is a middle-of-the-order power bat with fast hands, a 30-homer, 100-RBI potential kind of guy with good defensive skills and a strong arm. We'll see. A lot can happen."

Brad Mills likes the lefty Castro in the 6-spot, because Johnson is comfortable at #7:
"It seems like Johnson seems to be a little bit more comfortable in the seven spot. I like to have a left-handed hitter hitting in the sixth spot. It's a combination of things, like when Johnson is swinging the bat better and putting him up there at sixth, but I prefer to have a left-handed hitter like Castro hit sixth. If Johnson continues to swing the bat better at the seventh spot and that fits in with him, that's what we'd like to have happen."

The rotation: June 1 - July 1

As we prepare the June Employees of the Month for the Big Club, I got curious about how the rotation did last month, with last night included:

Name	IP	ERA/WHIP	K:BB	HR All
Oswalt	32.2	5.23/1.26	25:9	4
Myers	40.1	4.24/1.31	33:14	5
Wandy	33	5.18/1.58	25:16	3
Paulino	26.2	4.39/1.61	22:9	3
Moehler	32.2	3.86/1.50	19:18	2

Interesting, huh? Oswalt made five starts, while Wandy, Myers, and Moehler each made six, and Paulino made four starts. Roy had the lowest WHIP, but it was Moehler who posted the better ERA. Granted, there are a lot of external variables in ERA, but it's still a telling month for the rotation.

Paulino could return July 6

Within the Chronicle's Notes Column we hear from Felipe Paulino, who is apparently pain-free.

Levine:
He had been resting for three days since his cortisone shot. Paulino is on the disabled list with shoulder tendinitis and hasn't started since June 20. In the interim, Brian Moehler will remain in the rotation. The righthander will start Thursday's series opener at San Diego, manager Brad Mills confirmed.

Banks DFA'd, Moehler's job safe

Josh Banks was designated for assignment yesterday, to make room for Bud Norris' return tonight against Milwaukee.

This means that Brian Moehler's job is safe, at least until Felipe Paulino returns from the DL.