Felipe Paulino (shoulder) tossed four shutout innings in a minor league rehab start with Double-A Corpus Christi on Tuesday night.

Paulino, currently on the DL with shoulder tendinitis, gave up two hits and a walk while striking out three. He threw 36 out of 60 pitches for strikes and topped out around 97 mph on his fastball. "Our anticipation is that he'll make his next start at the big league level," said Astros general manager Ed Wade. He'll likely return to the starting rotation for a series against the Cubs next week.

Felipe Paulino (shoulder) threw live batting practice Thursday.

"I was a little rusty, but it was the first day," said Paulino, who threw 30 pitches. "It's a good step, and I have to try to get ready for the next one. I was a little wild on my pitches, but my fastball command was great." He is scheduled to pitch a simulated game on Monday. The hope is that Paulino will start the fifth game after the All-Star break on July 20 in Chicago.

Felipe Paulino (shoulder) threw a successful bullpen session Sunday.

Paulino used his whole arsenal of pitches and is still in line to return to the Astros soon after the All-Star break. "I really, really want to get back, so I'm just trying to get ready for my next start," the right-hander said Sunday. He has posted a 4.40 ERA over his first 14 starts this season.

The Astros have confirmed that right-hander Felipe Paulino won't return to the rotation before the All-Star break.

Paulino, who is out with shoulder tendinitis, reported no pain after playing catch on Monday. He should be able to throw off a mound soon, but the Astros are being smart and not rushing him back this half. Expect him to return just after the break, though.

Felipe Paulino (shoulder) played catch on Monday from 75 feet.

Paulino reported no pain and should step atop a mound before the week is through. Placed on the 15-day disabled list on June 21 with right shoulder tendinitis, he's hoping to return to the Astros around July 6. For now, Brian Moehler will hang onto his spot in the Houston starting rotation.

Astros placed RHP Felipe Paulino on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to June 21, with right shoulder tendinitis.

Tough break for the hard-throwing right-hander. After a disastrous 2009 season, the 26-year-old Paulino has shown some real potential this season, posting a 4.40 ERA through his first 14 starts. He had allowed two runs or less in six out of his last seven starts. There's no timetable on his return.

Felipe Paulino was pounded for 10 runs -- including a season-high eight earned -- over 4 2/3 innings in a loss to the Royals on Tuesday night.

So much for progress. Paulino was knocked around for a season-high 11 hits while walking three and striking out just two. The Royals chased Paulino by scoring seven runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. He entered Tuesday's start having allowed two runs or less in six out of his last seven starts, so this was quite the surprise. We still think there's a lot of upside here, but he might be worth sitting in an interleague matchup against the Rangers this weekend.

Felipe Paulino yielded just two earned runs over eight innings during a no-decision in Colorado on Wednesday.

It's an impressive outing for Paulino, who is really starting to come on. He's gone eight innings in each of his last three starts, striking out 19 batters over that span. His ERA is all the way down to 3.82 and mixed leaguers should be taking notice right now. We know the strikeouts will be there even if he gets no run support.

Felipe Paulino earned his first win of the season on Friday night by limiting the Cubs to one run over eight innings on Friday night.

Paulino struck out seven, walked two and allowed five hits. The fireballer has been the victim of poor run support on a few occasions this season, so his 1-7 record is misleading. He's given up two runs or fewer in five of his last six starts and has real upside if he can get hit command under control.

Felipe Paulino fell to 0-7 on the year, despite holding the Brewers to two runs over six innings on Tuesday night.

Paulino gave up two-run homer to Ryan Braun in the first inning, but held the Brewers off the board for the next five innings. It wasn't enough. He struck out four and walked three in the loss. These are tough times for the young right-hander, but hopefully the Astros won't give up on him on account of his poor record. He's still plenty promising.

Felipe Paulino dropped to 0-6 after giving up seven runs in 4 2/3 innings Friday against the Giants.

His worst start of the season to date. The Astros sure haven't helped him by scoring a total of 11 runs in his six defeats, but Paulino also has just one quality start to his credit. Another stinker might put his rotation spot in doubt.

Felipe Paulino fanned 11 batters over seven innings Saturday but fell to 0-5 on the year in a loss to the Padres.

Paulino, as usual, got little run support from the Houston offense despite an impressive showing on the mound. He collected double-digit strikeouts without walking a single batter, dropping his ERA to 4.67 and his WHIP to 1.44. Still, he's too off-and-on to be used in most fantasy leagues.

Felipe Paulino fell to 0-4 after giving up four runs in six innings Monday against the Diamondbacks.

Paulino intentionally walked Chris Snyder in the second and sixth innings and got out of jams as a result. Unfortunately, he didn't do it in the fourth, with two outs and runners on first and second, and Snyder hit a three-run homer. It was the first homer given up by Paulino in his five starts this season. He's still flashing some promise, but since he's not there yet and run support is a major issue, he's not worth using in NL-only leagues.

Felipe Paulino fell victim to poor defense on Wednesday, giving up six runs -- but just two earned -- in a loss to the Reds.

Paulino wasn't exactly dealing anyway, as he gave up six hits and walked four over just five innings. But the big blow came on a Hunter Pence blunder in right field in the fourth inning that resulted in three runs. It's the second straight start that Paulino has been let down by his defense and his numbers look worse than he's pitched. Still, he's only a spot-start option in NL-only formats for now.

Felipe Paulino yielded six hits and five earned runs in five innings Thursday as the Astros fell to the Marlins.

Paulino has now allowed five earned runs in two straight starts. His spot in the Astros' rotation would be on the fence, but the club has very little starting pitching talent to speak of. Paulino is 0-2 with a 5.94 ERA and a 1.56 WHIP. He will face the Reds in his next start.

Felipe Paulino was charged with five earned runs in six-plus innings Friday in a loss to the Cubs.

It was just one run through six, but Paulino gave up back-to-back doubles to start the seventh. Oddly, manager Brad Mills stuck with him and let him walk back-to-back batters before finally pulling him with the bases loaded. All three inherited runners came around to score, turning a quality start into a seemlingly poor outing for the right-hander.