May 20 : Per , Walter has been selected and Wesneski transferred to the 60-day IL, as expected. Gordon has been optioned as the corresponding active roster move. May 19 : Left-hander will start for the Astros tomorrow against Tampa Bay, manager Joe Espada told reporters ( Matt Kawahara of The Houston Chronicle). The Astros will need to add him to the 40-man roster. They can move , who is ticketed for Tommy John surgery, to the 60-day injured list to create a 40-man spot. Theyll also need to make a corresponding active roster move involving a pitcher. Walter signed a minor league contract with the Astros last August. It was apparently a two-year deal, as the southpaw spent last season on the injured list rehabbing a rotator cuff injury. Walter made his return to the mound during Spring Training, allowing four runs through seven innings. Hes been working in a swing role at Triple-A Sugar Land, where he has started five of nine appearances. Walter owns a 2.27 ERA acro s 35 2/3 innings, backing that up with strong underlying marks. Trenton Brooks Jersey Hes getting grounders at a huge 60% rate, striking out upwards of a quarter of opponents, and has kept his walk rate to a minuscule 5.2% clip. It has been a nice rebound effort for the 28-year-old lefty. Walter went from an unheralded 26th-round draft choice to one of the better pitching prospects in the Red Soxs system a couple years ago. He was hit hard in his nine MLB appearances with the Sox, allowing a 6.26 ERA over 23 innings two seasons back. He owns a 4.19 ERA acro s parts of three Triple-A seasons. Walter isnt going to overpower many hitters, as his four-seam and sinker each average 91 MPH. His five-pitch mix is headlined by his upper-70s sweeping slider. Walter still has an option remaining, so the Astros can send him back to Sugar Land without putting him on waivers. For now, he joins rookie as swing options. has taken Wesneskis rotation spot, rounding out the starting five behind , , and The Astros havent had an off day since May 8 and wont be off until next Monday. Theyll likely use Walter and Gusto in some kind of tandem outing tomorrow to reduce the workload on the rest of the staff. John Montefusco Jersey