The Houston Astros spent the first half leaning on a bullpen that has been one of the steadiest groups in baseball. That strength has come with a cost, though: the relief corps has been asked to cover too much ground because the starting rotation has not been giving Houston enough innings.
That issue was on full display in Sunday’s 6-5 loss to the Texas Rangers. Cristian Javier, making his first start back from a shoulder injury, went only three innings. From there, Astros relievers had to piece together the next five innings before the game finally slipped away late.
Manager Joe Espada said the club expected Javier to be on a short leash after two relief outings following his trip to the injured list. "We were prepared for that," Espada said.
"We had a fresh bullpen, and we deployed it. And they kept us in the game."
Bryan King came close to making that approach hold. He worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the seventh, then came back out for the eighth after Houston grabbed a 5-4 lead. The effort eventually caught up to him, and Kyle Higashioka tied the game with a two-out homer before the Rangers finished the walk-off win in the ninth.
"It was tough," King admitted. "But game's on the line, so we had to do it."
That outing fit the bigger picture in Houston. Astros starters have averaged among the fewest innings per game in the majors, which has turned the bullpen into one of the busiest in the league and pushed relievers into repeated high-leverage spots. King, Steven Okert and Enyel De Los Santos have all been among the American League leaders in appearances, and the Astros have leaned on multi-inning relief more than most contenders.
There may be some help on the way. Ronel Blanco and Hayden Wesneski are both moving through rehabilitation assignments, and Houston could use the reinforcement in a rotation that has posted one of the league’s highest ERAs this season.
The Astros are still in the mix, but their second-half path looks tied to one simple question: can the starting rotation finally lighten the load on a bullpen that has been carrying too much for too long?
In Other News...
Astros Were Just Tied To A Much Bigger Brewers Concern
The Brewers wrapped up the first half with a loss to the Pirates and a 59-37 record, but the more pressing news for a contender with October ambitions came off the field. Milwaukee kept tinkering with the roster at the break, including bringing in infielder Braden Shewmake from the Astros for cash while also making a few other moves to clear space and reset the depth chart.
Brandon Woodruffs situation is the one hanging over everything. He has not pitched since July 4, and after a new shoulder issue pushed him to the 60-Day Injured List, the Brewers are still waiting on a second opinion before they can map out anything resembling a return plan. For a team trying to protect a strong first half, the uncertainty around one of its key arms is the kind of concern that can linger well beyond the All-Star break. [Read more 🡒]
Astros Just Got Another Troubling Sign About Their Rotation Depth
The Astros rotation depth took another hit this week when right-hander Mike Burrows landed on the 15-day injured list after being optioned to Triple-A. Houston had hoped the move would give Burrows a chance to regroup, but the club instead had to reverse course and nullify the assignment, leaving another arm unavailable as the team tries to keep its pitching staff intact through the summer stretch.
Burrows is not eligible to return until July 22, and his situation comes on the heels of a similar episode with Kai-Wei Teng just three weeks earlier. For a front office that has already spent real prospect capital to build pitching depth, the repeated injury-related reversals are a reminder that the Astros margin for error on the mound is getting thinner, not wider. [Read more 🡒]
Astros Cannot Cross This Trade Deadline Line
The Astros reached the All-Star break at 47-51, a place they have not been in for years and one that forces a different kind of conversation as the trade deadline approaches. If Houston does decide to listen on veterans, it will be doing so from an unfamiliar position, with the front office having to weigh short-term damage against whatever chance remains to keep the season from slipping away.
Yordan Alvarez is the one player who makes that calculation feel especially dangerous. Even in a down year for the club, he has been one of the leagues most productive hitters and remains under contract through 2028 on a deal that still looks favorable for Houston, which is exactly why moving him would be the kind of move that can haunt a team long after the deadline passes. [Read more 🡒]