Cishek has identified a flaw in his mechanics that led to last season's 5.40 ERA over 20 innings, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

The side-arming Cishek noticed his arm slot was about six inches higher than normal, which led to a flat sinker. Opposing batters raked against the pitch, hitting .395 off it with a .789 slugging percentage. By contrast, the opposition managed .261 and .405 off the same pitch in 2019, when he posted a 2.95 ERA over 64 innings for the Cubs. "That's the first time in my career my two-seamer has been hit that hard," Cishek said. "I've been hit hard plenty of times, but not on a consistent basis like that. Obviously, that was a wake-up call that something is not right." He tried to make in-season adjustments but ran out of time during the shortened season. The Astros revamped their bullpen during the offseason and the 34-year-old, a non-roster invitee, is expected to earn a spot.