Notice Stephen Randolph in tonight's game? Of course you did--he came in just to give up a home run to Johnny Estrada. Well, that's all you'll see of him.
Randolph has been DFA'd to make room for the closest thing the Astros have got to a uber-prospect, outfielder Hunter Pence. Pence had a big spring and nearly broke camp with the big club, but was sent to AAA instead. He's continued to tear it up in the minors, and I'd imagine he'll be plugged right into the lineup to try and inject something--anything!--into the low-run environment the Astros call an offense.
Making the move particularly easy is Chris Burke's slump. So, it's anybody's guess whether Pence's success will translate into hits against big-league pitching such as Dave Bush and Claudio Vargas, but we've got a front-row seat for the arrival of a top-notch prospect. May he strike out many times, then go on to a fulfilling, productive life against other teams.