August 3, 2020 3:11 PM : Pressly is likely the top candidate to close for the Astros after Roberto Osuna (elbow) was placed on the 10-day injured list Sunday, David Barron of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Analysis: Pressly went unused Sunday in the Astros' come-from-behind 6-5 win in 11 innings, but manager Dusty Baker may just have wanted to be conservative with the right-hander's usage after he made his season debut just one day earlier. The 31-year-old had been slowed since the start of summer camp with a blister on his right index finger and a sore elbow, and it's worth noting that he developed a cut above the thumbnail on his pitching hand in Saturday's outing. That shouldn't be an issue for Pressly when the Astros return to action Tuesday in Arizona, but he could still need some time to shake off the rust and reemerge as the late-inning ace he has been for Houston over the past two seasons. If Baker ends up going in a different direction at closer, Blake Taylor, Bryan Abreu and Cy Sneed are the next-best bets for saves.