On Friday night, the Houston Astros will open up a new series with the St. Louis Cardinals (at home) in Texas.
They are coming off a series where they took two out of three from the Colorado Rockies.
Former New York Yankees Player Signs Deal With Astros
The Astros have been hit with a lot of injuries as of late.
Brian McTaggart of MLB.com wrote (on April 12): “Unbelievable. Astros starting pitcher Cody Bolton is leaving this game in the second inning after a mound visit from a trainer. The Astros have already sent three starting pitchers home with injuries on this trip.”
Following their tough stretch of injuries, the Astros have now signed two new players to minor league deals.
Chandler Rome of The Athletic wrote: “Two minor-league signings for a pitching-starved Astros organization: Miguel Yajure and Brandon Bielak, both of whom have reported to Triple-A Sugar Land. Yajure has 19 games of major-league experience. You already know Bielak.”
Yajure’s Background
GettyMiguel Yajure #89 of the Pittsburgh Pirates pitches in the first inning against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on June 27, 2022 in Washington, DC.
Yajure started out his career with the New York Yankees in 2020.
He had a 1.29 ERA in three games for the franchise.
The 27-year-old was then traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2021.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan wrote (on January 24, 2021): “The New York Yankees have acquired Jameson Taillon from the Pittsburgh Pirates for Miguel Yajure, Roansy Contreras, Maikel Escotto and Canaan Smith, sources tell ESPN.”
GettyMiguel Yajure #89 of the Pittsburgh Pirates delivers a pitch in the first inning during the game against the Chicago Cubs at PNC Park on September 30, 2021 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
With the Pirates, Yajure pitched in 16 games across two seasons.
He went 1-3 with an 8.69 ERA.
Despite being relatively young, Yajure has not pitched in the MLB since the 2022 season.
@PaulMayne6 wrote (on April 2, 2025): “Your bonus piece of Useless Baseball Information … In 2020, Miguel Yajure of the Yankees became the first player to wear #89, making it the last unused jersey number in MLB history. Every number from 0 to 99 has now been worn in a regular-season game! Told you it was useless.”
Astros Right Now
GettyJose Altuve #27 of the Houston Astros reacts after flying out during the first inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on April 13, 2026 in Seattle, Washington.
While they have dealt with a lot of injuries, it’s still early enough in the season for the Astros to turn things around.
They are the fourth-place team in the American League West with an 8-12 record in 20 games.
At home, the Astros have been good, going 7-3 in ten games at Daikin Park.
Last season, the franchise missed the MLB playoffs for the first time in eight years.
Former New York Yankees Player Signs Deal With New MLB Team