A.J. Blubaugh has done almost everything the Astros have asked of him this season, just not the thing that would help them most.
Houston brought the 25-year-old up as a pitcher who came through the system as a starter and had long looked like one of the organization’s better arms. But instead of giving him a real run in the rotation, the Astros have leaned on him as a multi-inning reliever, even as their starting staff kept getting battered by injuries and inconsistency.
That decision looks harder to defend by the week. The Astros have already used 17 different starters this season, the second-most in MLB, yet Blubaugh never got the chance. While Houston handed starts to Jason Alexander, Colton Gordon and Cody Bolton, watched prospect Ethan Pecko make his debut, used openers in Bryan King and Bennett Sousa, and even tried Miguel Ullola and Kai-Wei Teng in starting roles, Blubaugh stayed in the bullpen.
That’s a strange place for a pitcher with his background and production. Last season, Blubaugh was a key piece for Houston down the stretch, going 3-1 with a 1.69 ERA in 11 appearances, including three starts. This year, he has piled up the most innings in the majors out of the bullpen and has delivered a 5-2 record with a 3.02 ERA in 54 appearances and 86.1 innings.
The stuff is clearly there for more than relief work. Blubaugh has the velocity and the arsenal to profile as a quality starter, and Houston has already seen enough to trust him in bigger spots. Earlier this week, manager Joe Espada said Blubaugh was someone he could now trust in late game siutuations.
That only underscores the larger issue: the Astros are trusting him, just not using him in the role that fits best.
With Hunter Brown, Cristian Javier, Mike Burrows, Tatsuya Imai and Ronel Blanco all part of the rotation mess at different points, stretching Blubaugh out for starting duty should have been an obvious move. Instead, Houston kept reaching for other answers, even as the numbers and the circumstances pointed in the same direction.
At this stage, it’s too late to build him back up for a rotation push this season. But that should be a priority this offseason, because the path is still right there. Blubaugh can be a back-end starter for the Astros next year, and there’s upside for more than that.
At the very least, Houston needs to give him a real chance to win a starting job next season.
In Other News...
Astros Suddenly Have A Bullpen Problem In The AL West Race
The Astros bullpen took another hit this week when they placed left-hander Steven Okert on the 15-day injured list retroactive to Sept. 1 with a right hamstring strain. Bryan King was recalled to take his spot, giving Houston another arm as it tries to keep the late innings steady in the middle of a tense AL West race.
Okert has been one of Houstons most important setup options all season, leading the club with 21 holds. Losing him now only adds to the pressure on a relief group that has already had to carry a heavy load, and it leaves the Astros watching closely to see how quickly they can get one of their most trusted late-game pieces back. [Read more 🡒]
Astros Just Got The Rotation Boost They Desperately Needed
Cristian Javier gave Houston exactly the kind of lift its rotation had been chasing, working through the Diamondbacks lineup with poise in a 3-1 win. The Astros backed him with a three-run third inning, highlighted by Yainer Diazs home run, and the right-handers command and swing-and-miss stuff gave the club a much-needed sign that one of its key starters is settling back in.
The bigger question now is what this outing means over the next stretch, because Houston has been looking for stability behind its top arms and Javier looked a lot closer to the version that can change the tone of a series. Josh Hader finished it off with a clean ninth, but the real story for the Astros was the way Javier handled a lineup with little room for error and left the mound having put his team in position to breathe a little easier. [Read more 🡒]
White Sox Scramble To Fix One Problem After Astros Series Loss
The White Sox made a quick roster adjustment after their series loss to the Astros, bringing catcher Kyle Teel back from the 10-day injured list after a rehab assignment with Triple-A Charlotte. In the corresponding move, Drew Romo was optioned to Charlotte, though he is expected to stay around the major league club on the taxi squad, giving Chicago a little extra flexibility behind the plate as the stretch run continues.
For the White Sox, Teels return comes at a time when every bit of catching depth matters, especially with the team still pushing in the American League Central race. The move does not solve everything, but it gives Chicago a healthier look behind the plate and one more option as it tries to steady things after running into Houston. [Read more 🡒]