Kai-Wei Teng will start tomorrow against the Baltimore Orioles, transitioning from bullpen to starter role.

The Houston Astros announced today that right-handed pitcher Kai-Wei Teng will start tomorrow's series opener against the Baltimore Orioles on the road. This move signals a role change for this primarily bullpen pitcher.

Although Teng is labeled as a "starter/long reliever," this arrangement is quite noteworthy for the Astros. So far this season, Teng has been the most effective pitcher in the team's bullpen, while the Astros bullpen currently has the worst ERA (6.31) and WHIP (1.70) in the entire league.

Teng joined the Astros via a trade from the San Francisco Giants in January this year and has performed excellently in a long relief role this season. In 11 appearances, he has pitched 16.2 innings, recording 1 win and 1 loss, with an ERA of only 2.16 and a WHIP of 0.90.

The "starter/long reliever" designation aligns with Teng's previous starting experience. Last season, he made seven starts for the Giants, totaling 24.2 innings pitched, with a record of 1 win and 4 losses and an ERA of 7.66. His sole win came against the Colorado Rockies last September, where he pitched 5.1 innings allowing two runs. In his other starts prior to that, he never completed four innings.

Teng's arsenal includes five pitches, primarily relying on a slider-cutter, a four-seam fastball, and a sinker, and the velocities of these pitches have almost all increased this year. His average fastball velocity has risen by over 1 mph compared to 2025, with his four-seam averaging about 95 mph and his sinker slightly above 94 mph.

Astros pitching coach Josh Miller stated last week: "We are always exploring how to best utilize our available pitching resources. He truly earned this opportunity with his performance. His pitch quality is excellent, and he has threatening weapons against both sides. If we decide to do this, it's simply about finding the right spot for him and gradually extending his innings."