Getty Hunter Brown
After seven consecutive seasons of making the playoffs, the Houston Astros putting together a winning team is all but expected. So far in 2024, the team have proven to be the opposite. As of May 13, the Astros are fourth in the AL West with a winning percentage of just .375, leading to The Athletic’s Jim Bowden naming their “dismal start” as the No. 1 biggest surprise of the season.
“Most analysts… had Houston once again making the playoffs, either as a division winner or with a wild-card berth, yet here we are in mid-May and 12 other AL teams have a better record than the juggernaut Astros (15-25),” Bowden wrote. “Their starting rotation has been in disarray, the bats have been cold and their bullpen has been a huge disappointment.”
The Astros’ pitching has been a particular issue this season, and while injuries have admittedly severely thinned the team’s depth, unreliability and general underperformance has meant that many of the healthy pitchers have failed to meet expectations.
Injuries and Underperformance Continues to Plague the Astros’ Starting Rotation
There’s no denying that injuries have had a serious impact on the Astros’ pitching staff this season. While Justin Verlander, Cristian Javier, and Framber Valdez have returned to the mound after setbacks earlier in the season, the team’s IL continues to fill up, and the starting rotation has been particularly impacted.
Luis Garcia has been on the IL since May 2023 after undergoing Tommy John surgery, and Lance McCullers Jr. has been out since June 2023 surgery to repair the flexor tendon in his pitching arm and remove a bone spur. Both starters are unlikely to return to the Astros before the All-Star Break.
José Urquidy also started 2024 on the IL after exiting a spring training start with a forearm strain, with CBS Sports reporting on May 13 that he’ll require at least a few more rehab starts before he returns to the majors.
Most recently, J.P. France was placed on the IL due to a shoulder injury on May 7. The right-hander was optioned to the minors prior to the injury, though with the major-league rotation continuing to dwindle, he was expected to return this month. Unfortunately, The Athletic’s Chandler Rome reported he will still be sidelined for “a while,” leaving the Astros with even less rotation depth than they already had.
Adding to the Astros’ woes, even a lot of the healthy starters in the rotation have been unreliable.
Hunter Brown is 0-4 with a 7.79 ERA and 2.01 WHIP in 32.1 innings (7 starts), and rookie Spencer Arrighetti is 1-4 with a 7.52 ERA and 1.90 WHIP in 26.1 innings (6 starts). Prior to his demotion to the minors and subsequent injury, France had a 7.46 ERA and 1.70 WHIP in 25.1 innings (5 starts).
Even with Verlander (3.38 ERA), Valdez (3.64 ERA), and Javier (4.01 ERA) having strong outings since returning from their injuries and Ronel Blanco leading the team with a 2.23 ERA in 7 starts, it’s clear the Astros’ starting rotation desperately needs bolstering. Any depth they had has dwindled, and if the team wants any chance at a comeback this season, acquiring at least one starter in the very near future will be a top priority.
Astros’ Bullpen Still Falling Short of Expectations
Prior to Opening Day, the Astros’ bullpen seemed set with a fierce 1-2 punch in recently-acquired closer Josh Hader and veteran set-up man Ryan Pressly. During spring training, Bowden ranked the team 4th in his MLB Power Rankings, particularly focusing on the power of the Astros’ relief pitching since acquiring Hader.
“The Astros shocked the baseball world by signing star closer Josh Hader to a five-year contract,” Bowden wrote on February 15, “which arguably gives them the best back end of the bullpen in the majors as he joins Ryan Pressly and Bryan Abreu to form a dominating trio.”
Despite the highest of hopes, things definitely haven’t gone as planned.
As of May 13, Hader has a career-high 5.29 ERA and Pressly isn’t far behind him with an ERA of 5.28, so it’s safe to say the duo are yet to meet expectations. Even Abreu, who is having a stronger season than the others with an ERA of 3.60, has failed to close either of his two save opportunities.
The Astros bullpen is currently ranked 21st in MLB with a combined ERA of 4.45, which is an incredible fall from grace after finishing last season ranked 6th with an ERA of 3.56. Like the starting rotation, the bullpen has been plagued with injuries this season, but the underperformance of the team’s healthy relievers is arguably an even bigger issue.