The Houston Astros hopes for the playoffs may have taken a hit with the news that Josh James has been placed in quarantine.
The Houston Astros were already considered to be one of the weaker teams heading into the postseason. They have struggled to remain over .500 this year, and actually needed to fend off the Mariners to maintain their spot in the playoffs.
On Friday, their chances of advancing took another hit. Reliever Josh James was placed in quarantine, making him unavailable for at least the one outing.
MLB source: #Astros reliever Josh James has had to go into quarantine and not available to pitch tonight.
— Mark Berman (@MarkBerman_) September 25, 2020
It is important to note that this does not necessarily mean that James is lost for the next couple of weeks. San Francisco Giants outfielder Alex Dickerson had a false positive and was back within a couple of days. It is possible that the same scenario could play out for James.
Looking at his overall numbers, it is fair to wonder exactly how much of a loss James really is. His 7.27 ERA and 1.846 WHiP over 17.1 innings hardly inspire confidence. While he does have 21 strikeouts, James has also issued 17 walks and hit two other batters.
But James has turned a corner of late. He has settled in as a part of the Astros bullpen, even earning Dusty Baker‘s trust later in games. James has allowed just two runs on six hits and five walks in his last 9.1 innings, striking out ten batters.
That is where James is potentially a major loss. James has started to impress as a reliever, beginning to live up to the potential that made him a consensus top 100 prospect prior to the 2019 season. Houston will need every possible bullet they have in order to advance, and losing James could be a major difference.
Josh James has been placed in quarantine. With his emergence as a key part of the Houston Astros bullpen, his absence could be a major loss.