Enyel De Los Santos didn’t stay on the market for long. After being designated for assignment by the Atlanta Braves and electing free agency, the veteran right-hander has signed a major league contract with the Houston Astros, according to MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart.
To make room, Houston DFA’d right-hander Luis Contreras and optioned Nick Hernandez to Triple-A Sugar Land.
De Los Santos, 29, appeared in 43 games for Atlanta this season, posting a 4.53 ERA and 1.305 WHIP with 38 strikeouts in 43.2 innings. His inconsistency hurt his overall numbers — he allowed multiple runs in six outings, including three earned runs in two of his final appearances — but in 32 of his other 37 games, he didn’t give up an earned run.
Braves Signed Him Last Offseason
Originally acquired by the Braves last offseason, De Los Santos became the odd man out on July 30 when Atlanta traded for right-hander Tyler Kinley from Colorado.
This will be the eighth major league club for De Los Santos, who has previously pitched for the Phillies, Pirates, Guardians, Padres, Yankees, and White Sox. His career numbers include a 4.47 ERA across 272 games, with all three of his starts coming early in his career.
Houston is hoping De Los Santos can provide stability in the middle innings as they push for their sixth AL West title in eight seasons. The Astros lead Seattle by 1.5 games and Texas by 4.5 entering play on August 8.
