The Astros thought they were getting a rotation answer when they brought in Mike Burrows from the Pirates over the offseason. Instead, half a season later, they’re staring at the same questions Pittsburgh had to live with for years.
Houston put Burrows on the 15-day injured list with right elbow neuritis, retroactive to July 7. That move wiped out the option that had sent him to Triple-A Sugar Land before the All-Star break, and it came on the heels of a brutal start to his Astros tenure. Burrows opened with a 5.99 ERA, gave up 21 home runs, and even spent a short time in the bullpen before the club sent him down.
The results have been ugly, but the bigger issue has always been whether his body could hold up. Burrows dealt with an oblique injury in 2021 and a shoulder problem in 2022, then hit the major roadblock of his career after making only two starts for Triple-A Indianapolis in 2023. Tommy John surgery followed, and he missed nearly 14 months of game action.
He did make it back in 2024, though Pittsburgh had to rebuild him carefully. Even now, that recovery is part of the story. Elbow neuritis does not automatically mean another major operation, but it does underline why Burrows was never a safe bet to be counted on as a steady long-term starter.
The Pirates knew the arm talent was real. Burrows had a breaking ball that once made him one of the organization’s more interesting pitching prospects. What they also knew was that asking him to shoulder a full starter’s workload required faith.
That caution carried into 2025, his first meaningful big-league season. Burrows appeared in 23 games, made 19 starts, and threw just 96 innings. He completed six innings only twice.
Houston still paid for the upside. Astros GM Dana Brown sent right-hander Anderson Brito and outfielder Jacob Melton to the Tampa Bay Rays to land Burrows from Pittsburgh in a three-team deal, then called him a potential pillar of the rotation.
Now the Astros have an injured, ineffective, unavailable pitcher on their hands as they weigh whether more help is needed before the trade deadline. It’s a gamble they chose to take - and one the Pirates already understood.
In Other News...
Paul Skenes Just Gave Pirates Fans Another Reason To Smile
Paul Skenes spent the MLB All-Star festivities doing what he has done so often for Pirates fans lately: giving them another reason to enjoy the moment. The young right-hander was in the middle of the leagues showcase in Philadelphia, where his presence alone has become part of the attraction, and he handled the spotlight with the same easy confidence that has made him such a compelling figure in Pittsburgh.
Along the way, Skenes also had a little fun with the kind of speculation that tends to follow stars once they start getting big-stage attention. When he crossed paths with young reporters in Yankees attire, he noticed the pinstripes and made the joke land, then later reacted with clear confusion when someone tried to label him a future Yankee. For Pirates fans, it was a small but welcome reminder that even in an event built around baseballs biggest names, Skenes still sounds very much like a player firmly in the present. [Read more 🡒]
Pirates Just Took A Wild Card Gamble Fans Will Want To Track
With the Pirates hanging around the NL Wild Card race, the front office made a small but interesting roster move by adding outfielder Robert Hassell III from Washington in a deal that cost only cash considerations or a player to be named later. It is the kind of low-risk pickup contenders often make when they are looking for extra depth without sacrificing much, especially this time of year.
Hassell, a former first-round pick who once carried a lot of prospect buzz, had been designated for assignment by the Nationals before Pittsburgh stepped in. The move gives the Pirates another name to track as they try to stay in the race, and it also hints at how they are approaching the stretch run - looking for upside wherever they can find it, even if the next step for the newcomer is still to be determined. [Read more 🡒]
Pirates Suddenly Have An Awkward Marcell Ozuna Problem
Marcell Ozuna was one of the more notable offseason additions for Pittsburgh, a one-year bet meant to give the lineup some middle-of-the-order punch. Instead, the early returns have been rough, with Ozuna sitting at a .623 OPS and eight home runs in 250 plate appearances, production that has left the Pirates with far less than they hoped when they signed him.
Now the bigger issue is what that means as the Aug. 3 trade deadline approaches. If Pittsburgh decides to sell, Ozunas performance makes him a tricky piece to move, especially when other hitters around the league are drawing more obvious interest, leaving the Pirates to sort out whether this is a player they can still count on or one whose market has already cooled off. [Read more 🡒]