Was Roy Oswalt Forced to Pitch? Injury Update

A strange story is coming out of Houston where it appears as if Astros ace Roy Oswalt was forced to pitch the seventh inning of a recent game. According to Oswalt, he told coaches that he could no longer pitch after the sixth inning. The coaches apparently ignored him and he was sent out to pitch the seventh inning.

After allowing a pair of singles, Oswalt signaled for the medical staff and left with a hip injury. Astros manager Cecil Cooper says that leaving Oswalt in the game was a miscommunication.

On the season, Oswalt isn’t living up to his normal standards. The right-hander has an ERA of 5.43 and has four wins and four losses. In Oswalt’s seven previous seasons, he’s never failed to have a winning record and he’s never failed to have an ERA lower than 3.50.

It’ll be interesting to see if there is any bad blood between Oswalt and the coaches going forward. Additionally, there’s talk that the hip injury could force Oswalt to miss a start.

Photo: Newscom