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Both Astros relievers are native of the Dominican Republic, but they hadn’t received the opportunity to take part in the Winter League before. Ullola is getting the chance this year probably in part because his move from the rotation to the bullpen curtailed his workload. He had a 2.16 ERA over 16 2/3 innings during his stints with the Astros, and he should be in decent position to win a spot in the Houston pen next spring.

Ullola got the nod as the opener in this one and pitched a perfect first inning on 13 pitches before being pulled for Bryan King to start the second inning. Ullola will likely revert back to the bullpen, but could be called on again to serve in a similar capacity next week if needed. The lefty has a 3.38 ERA and a 0.75 WHIP in the six games he has appeared in this season.

The 24-year-old hurler has been used out of the bullpen in his first five appearances with the Astros but worked almost exclusively as a starter in the minor leagues. He has posted a 3.86 ERA, 0.85 WHIP and a 10/1 K/BB ratio over his first seven MLB innings. He has the talent to be a decent streaming option, but isn’t likely to work deep enough into the game to have a shot at a victory.

He’ll take the place of Kei-Wei Teng on the Astros’ active roster. Ullola, 24, has posted a 4.50 ERA, 0.83 WHIP and a 9/1 K/BB ratio in six strong innings of work over four appearances with the Astros this season. He’ll give them another bullpen option that’s capable of working multiple innings.

Ullola pitched one scoreless inning in his latest brief stint with the Astros, leaving him with a 4.50 ERA in six innings overall.

Ullola has done a decent job in three appearances with the Astros this season, posting a 5.40 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and a 7/1 K/BB ratio over five innings. It’s unclear if he’ll replace Ronel Blanco in the club’s rotation or if he’ll work out of the bullpen for the Astros.

Ullola has been jettisoned from Houston’s pitching staff with starter Hayden Wesneski coming off the injured list. The 24-year-old rookie has allowed three runs with a 7/1 K/BB ratio across five innings over three appearances for the Astros this season.

Ullola has been exceptional in two appearances for the Astros this season, posting a 7/0 K/BB ratio and 0.50 WHIP over four innings of work. He provides length to the Astros’ bullpen and could be used for multiple innings following Ronel Blanco on Sunday against the White Sox.

Ullola made his MLB debut against the Twins on Monday, racking up four strikeouts over two scoreless innings. He then followed that up with three strikeouts over two perfect frames in the series finale on Wednesday. The only logical reason for the demotion would be to keep him stretched out as a starter at the Triple-A level until he’s needed in the same role with the Astros.

As expected, Ullola joins the Astros’ bullpen after registering a 5.48 ERA, 1.55 WHIP and a 64/35 K/BB ratio across 47 2/3 innings in 20 appearances (10 starts) at the Triple-A level. He’s expected to serve in a long relief role for the Astros and isn’t likely to have any fantasy value.

Kai-Wei Teng will likely be sent down to make room. It’ll be the 24-year-old Ullola’s first stint in the majors. He opened this year going 1-4 with a 6.21 ERA in 10 starts for Triple-A Sugar Land, but he was shifted to the pen at the end of last month and since has a 2.70 ERA and a 16/6 K/BB in 10 innings. He might only be up until Cristian Javier rejoins the rotation next weekend.

Ullola allowed two hits but struck out one and avoided any damage. This is his sixth scoreless outing in seven appearances since being shifted into the bullpen. He did have one poor outing in that span, so his total stats as a reliever are three runs allowed on six hits in 6 2/3 innings with a 9/5 K/BB ratio. It’s not flawless work, but it’s good enough that he could join the Astros bullpen at some point over the summer.

Ullola threw just 11 pitches in his last outing for Triple-A Sugar Land on Saturday, which raised some eyebrows. Apparently, the Astros believe that he can help the team more in the short-term as a right-handed reliever. Ullola has plus raw stuff but has struggled with command in the high minors, so this move does make some sense. As Rome noted, “No call-up is believed to be imminent,” but it does seem like, if one does come, “it will be out of the bullpen.”

He also struck out eight and walked three while throwing 62 percent of his pitches for strikes. Command has always been a bit of a concern for Ullola, but he has wipe out stuff and posted a 44 percent whiff rate in this one. His slider and cutter both miss plenty of bats, and his four-seamer has good vertical movement, which helps his fairly average velocity. He’s a name to keep an eye on, particularly if Hunter Brown is out for an extended period of time.

Ullola will presumably be in the mix for a spot in Houston’s season-opening rotation after posting a solid 3.88 ERA and 131/78 K/BB ratio across 113 2/3 innings over 28 appearances (23 starts) this past season.