CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Colin McKee can't catch a break — an all-star break, that is.

McKee, 25, a Butler graduate and relief pitcher in the Houston Astros farm system, saw action in the Class AA Texas League All-Star Game. He struck out two while working a scoreless inning.

Shortly thereafter, McKee was promoted to Class AAA Round Rock (Texas) for a four-game series against Oklahoma City, which preceded the Pacific Coast League's all-star break.

“It was just a temporary call-up,” McKee said. “They got caught with a doubleheader thrown into a busy schedule and needed an extra arm in the bullpen.”

McKee worked one inning for Round Rock, striking out a batter and allowing a solo home run.

“We were winning 10-1 late in the game and I was just trying to fill the zone (with strikes) at that point,” McKee said. “The guy got me. You don't want to walk anybody with a lead that big late in the game.

“Their all-star break followed that series and I was hoping to catch a few days off there. But they sent me back to Double-A right after that series.

“Right back to work,” McKee added, laughing.

He's got plenty to be happy about.

Other than a walk ratio that's higher than he'd like — 25 walks in 43 innings with Corpus Christi — McKee's Double-A numbers have been impressive.

The 6-foot-3, 225-pound right-hander has struck out 57, allowed only 19 hits, carries a 1.88 earned run average and opponents are hitting only .134 against him.

Though his Class AAA stint was brief, McKee felt good about it.

“You never know what they're thinking,” he said of the organization. “I mean, players get shuffled around from time to time.

“The fact I was called up at all ... I consider that a positive in the process. How much of one, no one knows.”

The Texas League All-Star Game was McKee's first all-star experience as a professional player.

“It was interesting. Everything was really laid back and I enjoyed it,” he said.

“It was a brief stint (in AAA), but I attacked the hitters there the same way as in Double-A. It was no different for me in that regard.”

Mickey Storey, the Round Rock manager, called McKee into his office after the team's final game before the all-star break to tell him he was going back to Corpus Christi.

“He thanked me for my efforts, for coming up to help out, said I was a professional and hoped to see me again real soon,” McKee said.

“We'll see what happens. I can't complain about what's going on so far.”