McHugh (4-0) allowed one hit and struck out one over three scoreless relief innings in Wednesday's extra-inning win over the Rangers.

EDGE Analysis

McHugh held the fort from the seventh through the ninth inning before the Astros produced a run on a single, a hit batsman, a wild pick-off attempt and a sacrifice fly. The win was McHugh's fourth, and the scoreless outing lowered his ERA to 0.90 over 40 innings.

McHugh (3-0) retired all three batters by strikeout and got the win in Saturday's 4-3 extra-inning victory over Kansas City.

EDGE Analysis

McHugh picked up a second win this week while striking out five of the six batters he's faced. The starter-turned-reliever has transitioned into a strikeout pitcher. He has at least one punchout in his last 13 games (27 Ks over 19.1 IP) and lords over the rest of the Astros' staff at 12.6 K/9.

McHugh (2-0) struck out two in a scoreless ninth inning in Houston's come-from-behind 5-4 win over Tampa Bay.

EDGE Analysis

McHugh was the pitcher of record when Alex Bregman delivered a walkoff double and earned his second win of the season. The 31-year-old's transition to the bullpen has been a success thus far. McHugh owns a 1.13 ERA and 0.84 WHIP while striking out 43 over 32 innings. As a reliever, McHugh has picked up velocity on his fastball -- his fastball lived at 93 mph Monday, three ticks higher than where it averaged as a starter in 2017 -- and that's resulted in a career-high 12.1 K/9.

McHugh allowed a hit and struck out two over two scoreless innings in Thursday's 8-2 win over the Indians.

EDGE Analysis

McHugh extended his scoreless run to 17.1 innings, spanning 13 appearances. He's allowed runs in just one of his 15 games, sporting a 0.46 ERA with 26 strikeouts over 19.2 innings, however, none of his outings have come in high-leverage spots. The 31-year-old right-hander has been a starter his entire career, however, was moved to the bullpen in 2018 due to a crowded starting rotation.

McHugh threw a perfect 1-2-3 inning, striking out one in Monday's 2-0 loss to the Angels.

EDGE Analysis

McHugh has handled his transition to the bullpen with aplomb, posting six scoreless outings out of seven, including three straight clean appearances. The former starter can give the Astros length when needed, but the starters have averaged 6.2 innings per start and lead the league with a 2.12 ERA. McHugh has a 0.93 ERA with a 13.0 K/9 over seven appearances.

McHugh allowed a hit and a walk while striking out five in two innings of relief in Tuesday's 4-1 loss to the Twins.

EDGE Analysis

Starter Dallas Keuchel expended 101 pitches before leaving after four innings, necessitating some length out of the bullpen. That's the ideal spot for McHugh, the starter turned reliever. With Houston's offense, which ranks seventh in runs scored per game over the final four innings, that could lead to some stolen wins for long man like McHugh. The 31-year-old right-hander has three multi-inning appearances and struck out 10 over 6.2 innings.

McHugh allowed two hits and hit a batter while striking out four over 2.1 scoreless innings in Friday's 4-1 loss to San Diego.

EDGE Analysis

McHugh, who's made 111 starts over six seasons, is adjusting to his role in the bullpen. So far there have been no issues. He's allowed one run and struck out five over 4.2 innings spanning three appearances. This was the second time pitching in multiple innings, which shouldn't be surprising for a former starter who is used to the pattern of pitching more than one inning. He'll be the first in line for spot starts or to replace an injured rotation member.

McHugh will most likely pitch out of the bullpen after manager A.J. Hinch set his starting rotation for the regular season, Glenn Sattell of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Once the Astros acquired Gerrit Cole from the Pirates, moving McHugh to the pen became the likely domino to fall out of the rotation. Hinch said the rotation will be Justin Verlander, Dallas Keuchel, Lance McCullers, Cole and Charlie Morton. "We want to continue to lengthen him out," Hinch said. "He's going to pitch a little more regularly as if we're planning for the bullpen." McHugh made a couple of spring starts, but was used twice in the span of four days out of the pen this past week. He'll be the first in line for a spot start, but could also be used in a trade should Houston want an upgrade elsewhere on the roster or a more seasoned relief arm.

McHugh allowed one hit and one walk while striking out five over two innings in Saturday's spring game against Atlanta.

EDGE Analysis

McHugh commanded well, throwing strikes on 22 of his 30 pitches and used his entire repertoire. It was an encouraging start for the right-hander, who's hoping to use a good spring to facilitate a trade. Houston's projected starting rotation does not include McHugh, so if he wants to avoid the bullpen, his best shot would be with another team.

McHugh will make $5 million in 2018 after winning his arbitration case Thursday, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.

EDGE Analysis

He made just 12 starts last season, but McHugh still pitched well when he was healthy, as he posted a 3.55 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP in that span. As a result, he'll make $450K more than the Astros offered him in arbitration as he looks to bounce back with a healthy 2018 campaign.