A familiar name from the Houston Astros’ championship years is heading to a new clubhouse, this time in the National League.
The Philadelphia Phillies claimed right-hander José Urquidy off waivers from the Chicago White Sox on Thursday. The move gives the 31-year-old pitcher a fresh landing spot for the final stretch of the regular season.
The Phillies announced the transaction in a statement: “The Phillies have claimed RHP José Urquidy off waivers from the Chicago White Sox. To make room on the 40-man roster, RHP Caleb Kilian was transferred to the 60-day injured list.”
For Astros fans, the news lands as an update on a pitcher who spent his first five major league seasons in Houston. Urquidy debuted with the club in 2019 and became a reliable piece of the rotation during the team’s most successful stretch.
He posted a 27-16 record and a 3.98 ERA in 79 games, including 70 starts, while wearing an Astros uniform. Those numbers came during a period when Houston regularly reached October and captured the 2022 World Series title.
Urquidy was on that championship roster. In Game 3 of the 2022 World Series at Citizens Bank Park, he threw three scoreless innings of relief against the same Phillies team that has now claimed him. Houston went on to win the series in six games.
His postseason résumé with the Astros ran deeper than that one outing. He started Game 4 of the 2019 World Series against the Washington Nationals and became the second Mexican-born pitcher to win a World Series game. He later added more October innings in 2020 and 2021.
A native of Mazatlán, Mexico, Urquidy developed into a strike-thrower who could work deep into games when healthy. He logged 164 1/3 innings in 2022, his heaviest regular-season workload, and finished that year 13-8 with a 3.94 ERA.
Injuries later interrupted his time in Houston. He underwent Tommy John surgery in June 2024 after a forearm issue the previous season. The Astros did not retain him after that, and he signed with Detroit for 2025.
This season he has bounced between Pittsburgh and Chicago, going 2-2 with a 5.28 ERA in 11 appearances and 29 innings. Most of those outings have come in relief, though he made one start.
One of those recent appearances came against his old club. On Sept. 3 in Houston, Urquidy tossed a scoreless inning for the White Sox at the ballpark where he once celebrated a title.
The Astros themselves are in a tight race. They sit at 76-76 after 152 games and hold first place in the American League West. Houston has dropped seven of its last 10 and was wrapping a series with the Kansas City Royals on Thursday.
A loss Wednesday night left the series tied. The club then turns its attention to a weekend set against the Atlanta Braves at home.
Urquidy will not be eligible for the Phillies’ postseason roster because the claim came after Sept. 1. Philadelphia, sitting at 84-68 and in second place in the NL East, is looking for innings over the final 10 games while dealing with injuries on the staff.
The claim is a low-risk addition for a team that already has playoff experience on its mind. For Houston, it is a reminder of a pitcher who helped deliver the franchise’s second World Series championship.
Urquidy’s career line now stands at 29-18 with a 4.08 ERA in 92 games and 436 1/3 innings. He has appeared in 15 postseason games, including eight starts.
Astros supporters who watched him work the corners at Minute Maid Park will recognize the name even if the uniform has changed several times since 2023.
The move keeps him in the majors for at least a few more weeks. Whether it leads to another chapter in October remains to be seen, but his Houston years remain the foundation of his résumé.
