Houston dealt OF-L Adam Seuss to the Mets for Dan Wheeler yesterday. The Astros drafted Seuss out of UC Riverside with a 36th round pick in the 2002 draft. He spent the remainder of that season as well as all of 2003 with Tri-City in the Short-Season New York-Pennsylvania League. The 23-year-old then opened the 2004 season at A+ Salem in the Carolina League, where he was hitting .283 with a .370 OBP and .396 SLG on 102 H, 20 2B, and 7 HR with a 44:63 BB:K and 1/2 SB% in 361 AB at the time of the trade. Seuss appears to possess decent plate discipline and modest power skills, but given his age relative to his league, I will need to see him tackle the upper minors before judging his upside.

As a flyball pitcher, Wheeler likely will not find the move from Shea Stadium to Minute Maid Park helpful. However, the 26-year-old generally possesses solid skills, so I expect him to be a useful addition to the Astros' bullpen, especially if Houston limits his exposure to left-handed hitters, as he has a large platoon split.

In order to make room for Wheeler on the roster, the Astros designated RHP David Weathers for assignment. Weathers was not pitching substantially different from when Houston acquired the 34-year-old from the Mets in mid-June, which was better than some of the other pitchers in the Astros' pen. On the other hand, Houston may find someone willing to give up a minor leaguer with a little upside for the pending free agent.

Meanwhile, RHP Dan Miceli developed a severe case of pink eye, requiring a trip to the disabled list. Although the Astros did not place him on the DL until August 26th, the move is retroactive to the 22nd, so he will be eligible to return on September 7th. While an inability to pitch during the illness may require him to spend a little time easing back into his routine before coming off the DL, he should not miss more than a month, since recovery should not take much longer than two weeks.

Houston called up RHP Russ Springer to fill Miceli's roster spot. Although the 35-year-old reportedly retired this past off-season, Springer signed a minor league deal with the Astros in June. At the time of this promotion, he had compiled a 33:14 K:BB with 31 H and 3 HR allowed in 31 IP for a 3.48 ERA over 26 appearances at AAA New Orleans in the Pacific Coast League. He's an extreme fly ball pitcher and possesses questionable control, making it unlikely that he will pitch more effectively than Weathers.

LHP Andy Pettitte returned to the disabled list on August 18th and will not be seen again this season. Rather than risk damaging other parts of his arm by continuing to pitch through his current injury, Pettitte chose to undergo season-ending surgery to repair the partially torn flexor tendon in his left elbow. He should be able to begin throwing again in three to four months, making it possible for him to be ready for the start of the 2005 season.

RHP Brandon Backe took Pettitte's roster spot as well as his place in the rotation. At the time of his promotion, Backe had compiled a 74:26 K:BB with 57 H and 7 HR allowed in 64.1 IP for a 2.80 ERA over 19 appearances, including 9 starts at AAA New Orleans. He seems to have made considerable progress towards improving his control during this last stint in the minors. The 26-year-old has faced the Cubs in both his starts since returning to the majors, and though the first encounter went well, Chicago figured him out by the second game. Provided he doesn't have to face the same team in back-to-back starts again, Backe should be an effective starter for Houston over the remainder of the season.