Astros Option Teng Kai-wei Back to Minors After Brief Majors Return

Taipei: The Houston Astros have sent Taiwanese right-hander Teng Kai-wei back to Triple-A following the team's narrow 3-4 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday. Teng, who was initially recalled to the majors on August 21 to bolster the Astros' bullpen, struggled in his recent appearances. According to Focus Taiwan, Teng pitched just 0.1 innings on Sunday, during which he struck out one batter but allowed two walks and a run. This performance contributed to him giving up six runs over his last three games in the majors. As a result, the Astros have decided to option Teng back to their Triple-A affiliate, the Sugar Land Space Cowboys. The 27-year-old pitcher from Taichung had made 30 MLB appearances this season, including 10 starts, and held a 5-7 record with a 4.76 ERA over 73.2 innings. With Teng and Boston Red Sox infielder Cheng Tsung-che both returning to Triple-A, the only active Taiwanese player in MLB remains Detroit Tigers' 23-year-old infielder Lee Hao-yu. In a separate game on Sunday, the Tig ers faced a 3-2 defeat against the Cleveland Guardians. Lee, batting second and starting on second base, drew a walk in the first inning and subsequently scored his only run of the game. His performance included being struck out twice and hitting a foul pop-up in the eighth inning. Taiwanese baseball fans have been closely watching Lee, especially after his impressive 12-game hitting streak in July. However, he has not recorded a hit in his last two games, despite drawing walks in both. Following Sunday's game, Lee's batting average has fallen to around .260, a decline from his peak of .378 during the streak.