This season was supposed to be different. It was supposed to be an improvement from last year, but the same issue is haunting the Houston Astros more than ever. The injury bug has once again ravaged the Astros, specifically in the pitching department. It also hasn’t spared the outfield.
How the Astros Can Overcome the Injury Bug
During the offseason, general manager Dana Brown and the front office specifically targeted improving the depth of the roster, specifically in pitching. While the debate is out on whether Brown and the Astros did enough to bolster that, the injury luck has just been brutal.
Every single day, it seemed like a new injury was added to the list. Some sort of move due to injury has taken place almost every single day in April. The injured list has now grown to 16 players. It’s mostly pitching, but also parts of the offense as well.
Pitching Depth Coming In
The fact is that the Astros did add multiple arms in the offseason. During spring training, it seemed like Houston’s pitching staff was in good shape. Both new starters, Mike Burrows and Tatsuya Imai, looked great back in March. Burrows was acquired in a trade from the Pittsburgh Pirates, while Imai, one of the top Japanese players available, signed a three-year, $54 million deal.
The Astros had Hunter Brown as the ace of the staff, followed by Cristian Javier, and the finally healthy Lance McCullers Jr. Houston put together five arms and had options to go six deep thanks to Spencer Arrighetti in Triple-A and a variety of long relievers who could convert to starters.
A Continuous Stream of Astros Injuries
It’s all shockingly come apart. While the Astros started 6-3, the injuries to the pitching staff kept mounting up. The starters were unable to go deep into games, which severely taxed the bullpen. The ace in Brown was the first to get injured with a Grade 2 shoulder strain. This was Brown’s first time on the injured list. The big hole only got bigger as Javier also suffered a Grade 2 shoulder strain just a week later.
Brown said on @SportsTalk790 that late May/early June is timetable for return of Hunter Brown and Cristian Javier. “Hopefully it could be a little sooner.”
— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) April 19, 2026
The Colorado and Seattle road trip was a nightmare for the Astros, as they went 1-9. Two more key starting pitching injuries were added during this stretch in Seattle. Imai only went through 1/3 of an inning against the Mariners and was later shockingly placed on the 15-day IL due to arm fatigue.
Cody Bolton went down two days later with mid-back inflammation and pitched only one inning. He was hit in the back during his previous start in Colorado, but it didn’t seem to affect him then. It came back in his next start.
Piling On
To make matters even worse, both center fielder Jake Meyers and shortstop Jeremy Peña were also placed on the IL during the road trip. Meyers suffered a Grade 2 right oblique strain in Colorado, while Peña has a Grade 1 right hamstring strain.
Astros announce right shoulder tightness for Cristian Javier, and lower-back tightness for Jake Meyers. https://t.co/11I7tWkPeY
— Manny Randhawa (@MannyOnMLB) April 8, 2026
The injury train keeps on rolling for the Astros, as both Joey Loperfido and Taylor Trammell are on the IL. The fan favorite Loperfido has a right quad strain, which is considered minor, while Trammell has a serious left groin injury. Infield utilityman Nick Allen was suddenly added as well with back spasms. That also looks to take some time.
What Has to Change
While the offense has done well, it’s just impossible to win if the pitching is going to give up at least seven runs in each game, even with the best offense in baseball.
The Astros will need Burrows to truly step up and be the option that was expected of him. Arrighetti was finally called up, and he came through big time against the Rockies, with six innings of one-run ball along with two hits and 10 strikeouts. He followed that up with two runs given in five innings against the Cleveland Guardians on Monday.
Houston will need him to be their best pitcher at the moment. McCullers Jr. has to show his vintage form as well. These are the three main pitchers Houston has.
Big Question Marks Ahead
Clearly, enough thought into starting depth was not there from the Astros, even with the moves made. It’s looking like they weren’t sufficient. Relying on Javier as a third starter who hasn’t looked the same since his injury and Burrows, who has never been in the position he’s in right now, was a lot to ask for. Not to mention the fact that it would take some time for Imai to get used to the American setup. McCullers Jr. has constantly dealt with injuries.
The Astros will need one of their long relievers to show up to the party. Houston will need a guy like Ryan Weiss to get used to a starter role and potentially Nate Pearson if he’s ready in time. The Astros also didn’t add a big-time reliever for high-leverage situations.
Late May/early June is expected to be the time frame for many key players to come back. The incoming return of All-Star closer Josh Hader at that point will help as he looks on track. That will also be when Brown and Javier can come back. Imai’s return could likely happen by that point as well. Loperfido and Bolton are expected to be back in May, and even Peña could give his strain is a grade one.
It’ll be roughly another month that the Astros will have to grind and figure it out. The problem is that the Astros are relying on fewer individuals with much larger tasks than normal. Unfortunately, they have no choice but to rely on those unfamiliar players to come through.
Starters Need to Go Deep
The fifth starter option, either Peter Lambert or a call-up from Jason Alexander, to put together some innings, will be crucial. The Astros starters have to go five innings, but also give the offense a chance. The bullpen hasn’t always struggled when not being overloaded. The ‘pen has been under enormous pressure and thrown into the fire early. When they get put in a normal situation by the fifth or sixth, it gives them a chance to piece the game together.
Brice Matthews will have to chip in on offense, especially now that Meyers, Loperfido, and Trammell are all out. Shay Whitcomb, who was called up, will also play a bunch of left field, given the shortage. The key is for someone to help out Cam Smith, who’s in right field and has done a great job on both sides of the ball.
In terms of good news, lefty reliever Bennett Sousa is expected to return this month, while infielder Zach Dezenzo is around the corner.
The Astros have depth in place; the key is the quality of depth. If the starters can deliver a couple of decent starts and go somewhat deep, everything else can get sorted out. The Astros have only had three quality starts nearly a month into the season, one each from Arrighetti, McCullers Jr., and Brown.
Main Photo Credit: Katelyn Mulcahy/MLB Photos via Getty Images
