Brad Peacock Undergoes MRI, Returns To Injured List

Just 10 days after being activated from the injured list, Astros righty Brad Peacock is headed back to the IL with right shoulder discomfort, the team announced. No timetable for his return has been provided, though Peacock told reporters that he’s undergone an MRI and is awaiting results (Twitter link, with video, via FOX 26’s Mark Berman). Right-hander Cy Sneed has been recalled from Triple-A in a corresponding move.

Peacock described a persistent “sharp pain” in his shoulder and acknowledged that the discomfort “got a lot worse” in last night’s outing. The right-hander hopes to pitch again in 2019 but won’t know his next steps until he meets with the club’s doctors later this afternoon. Previous MRIs have not revealed any structural damage.

The 31-year-old Peacock originally went on the IL in late June due to the same issue, and his rehab was slowed by a setback prior to last week’s return. It’s a worrisome injury for an Astros club that is already without one of its top relievers, Ryan Pressly, due to knee surgery. As The Athletic’s Jake Kaplan points out (via Twitter), Peacock’s velocity has been diminished since his return. The right-hander averaged 92.2 mph on his fastball prior to his original IL placement but, despite a move to shorter relief stints upon being activated, averaged just 91.3 mph on the pitch in his past three outings.

So far in 2019, Peacock has totaled 88 2/3 innings of 4.06 ERA ball, averaging 9.5 K/9, 2.9 BB/9 and 1.42 HR/9 to go along with a 38.3 percent ground-ball rate. He’s earning $3.11MM in 2019 after avoiding arbitration last winter and will be arb-eligible for the finale time this coming offseason. Peacock can become a free agent following the 2020 season.