Astros transferred RHP Jesse Crain from the 15-day disabled list to the 60-day disabled list.

The move clears room on the 40-man roster for the addition of Tony Sipp. Crain is coming back from biceps surgery and recently had a setback when he developed bursitis in his right elbow. He's throwing on flat ground again but now won't be eligible to return until the end of the month.

Jesse Crain (biceps, elbow) resumed throwing on flat ground Tuesday.

Crain was shut down for about a week after developing bursitis in his right elbow. The reliever had been hoping to join the Astros' bullpen in early May, but obviously he's not anywhere close to a return. It's not clear when he'll be ready for mound work again.

Jesse Crain (biceps) is no longer throwing off a mound after developing bursitis in his right elbow.

"Early May timetable is no longer early May," Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow said. Luhnow did not offer a new timetable for the veteran reliever, but Crain won't resume throwing for 7-10 days. Fantasy owners that have stashed Crain hoping for some saves are no doubt growing impatient.

Jesse Crain (biceps) has yet to appear in an extended spring training game.

Crain is throwing off a mound but has yet to be cleared for game action. He'll eventually have to go on a rehab assignment after getting into some games at the Astros' spring training complex. Crain had been hoping for an early-to-mid-May return, and it's looking like he'll at least be on the latter end of that timetable.

Jesse Crain (biceps) will continue his rehab in Florida and could throw off a mound as early as Tuesday.

"It's a day-by-day thing," Crain said. "I just played catch. Today was my best day throwing - today was my first good day of throwing (since the bullpen). Took it easy." Crain is still shooting for a return in early May despite not yet throwing off a mound this year. The Astros signed the right-hander this winter with the understanding that Crain wouldn't be ready for the start of the season.

Astros placed RHP Jesse Crain on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to March 21, with a right biceps injury.

Crain, who's still recovering from biceps surgery, is expected to join the Astros' bullpen before the end of April. Upon returning, he could very quickly become the favorite for saves in the Houston bullpen.

Jesse Crain (calf, biceps) is scheduled to throw his first bullpen session of the spring on Thursday.

Crain is on his way back from biceps surgery. He also suffered a right calf strain in February but is recovered from that now. The Astros are hoping that he'll be ready to join their bullpen by the end of April.

Jesse Crain (calf, biceps) could throw off a mound in two weeks.

Crain is coming back from biceps tendinitis surgery and more recently a strained right calf. The Astros are hoping that the reliever will be ready to join their bullpen by the end of April.

Astros general manager Jeff Lunhow anticipates that Jesse Crain (calf, biceps) will be able to rejoin the Astros bullpen in late April.

Crain had been the favorite to begin the season as the Astros closer, but will now have to win that job away from Chad Qualls once he's back on the field.

Jesse Crain (calf, biceps) went through some agility drills Tuesday.

Crain suffered a strained right calf last week, but it's his recovery from offseason biceps surgery that remains the bigger issue. The reliever will begin the season on the disabled list. "The calf's getting a lot better," he said. "I should be out and hopefully running within the next week. The good thing is if I was on the mound throwing and getting ready for the season and this happened, it would be a setback. As far as where I am with my throwing program, it didn't affect any of that."

Jesse Crain (calf) played catch on Saturday.

The veteran reliever suffered a calf strain earlier in the week, and is also still in recovery from offseason biceps surgery. His availability for Opening Day looks increasingly doubtful, so it appears that Chad Qualls will be the favorite for save chances to begin the regular season.

An MRI taken Wednesday on Jesse Crain's injured right calf confirmed the original diagnosis of a strain.

Crain suffered that injury earlier this week in Astros camp. He was already questionable for Opening Day because of offseason biceps surgery and now the veteran right-hander is sure to open the season on the 15-day disabled list. Chad Qualls will likely begin the 2014 campaign as the Astros' primary ninth-inning man.

Jesse Crain (biceps, shoulder) suffered a calf strain and will undergo an MRI.

Crain was already expected to miss the start of the season while he works his way back from biceps tendon surgery, but now he has another hurdle in his way. We'll have a better idea of the severity and the timetable following the MRI.

Jesse Crain (biceps, shoulder) hopes to be ready to pitch in games sometime in April.

Crain, who had surgery on his biceps tendon in October, took the day off Monday after throwing a baseball off flat ground from 60 feet on Saturday and Sunday. While he's making progress, he's still likely a couple of weeks away from throwing off a mound.

Jesse Crain (biceps, shoulder) began a throwing program on Monday.

Crain said it went "as planned." The veteran reliever is still a few weeks away from throwing off a mound and doesn't expect to be ready for the start of the season. Crain missed the final three months of last season due to shoulder issues and then underwent biceps surgery in October.

Jesse Crain (biceps, shoulder) said Saturday he's unlikely to be ready for the start of the regular season.

"That would be a huge bonus if I was ready (for the start of the season)," Crain told the Houston Chronicle. "I'm not planning on that. I would be surprised if I was ready by then." Crain will begin playing catch on Monday and hopes to start throwing off a mound within the next few weeks. The right-hander said a best-case scenario would be throwing in a few spring training games and only missing a few weeks of the regular season. Even assuming he returns in mid-April, the 32-year-old remains the best closer option for the Astros and should regain the job sooner than later after returning.

Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle reports that Jesse Crain (biceps, shoulder) is expected to begin throwing on Monday.

The 32-year-old was brilliant in 36 2/3 innings with the White Sox before the injuries cut short his season, compiling a 0.74 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 46/11 K/BB ratio. For those speculating on saves in the later rounds of mixed league drafts, Crain has to be considered the favorite to fill the role as long as he's healthy to begin the season.

Jesse Crain (biceps, shoulder) won't start throwing for another 10 days.

"We have a plan and a certain schedule for that and so far all the rehab has been going well," Crain said on Saturday. "We just want to make sure that I'm all the way healthy and strong before we get to that next step because you can always speed it up on the back end." Crain, who signed a one-year, $3.25 million deal with the Astros last month, didn't pitch during the second half last year due to a right shoulder strain and had surgery in October to fix biceps inflammation. He posted a 0.74 ERA in 38 games with the White Sox last season. Crain, 32, is the favorite for saves in Houston if he's healthy.

Jesse Crain (biceps, shoulder) expects to start throwing in a couple of weeks.

Crain, who signed a one-year, $3.25 million deal with the Astros last month, didn't pitch during the second half last year due to a right shoulder strain and had surgery in October to fix biceps inflammation. If healthy, he could get a chance out of the closer role in 2014.

Astros signed RHP Jesse Crain to a one-year contract.

No word yet on the terms involved. Crain posted a 0.74 ERA over 38 appearances in 2013, but didn't pitch after June 29 due to a right shoulder strain. If healthy, he figures to pitch in the late innings for the Astros in 2014 and could be spun for a prospect around the trade deadline.