Peter Lambert has been one of the surprise stories early on this season in Major League Baseball. The Houston Astros are off to a 15-22 start. Due to injuries, the Astros’ pitching has been in a constant state of flux, to say the least.
But a welcome surprise during this stretch has been Lambert, who was called up from Triple-A Sugar Land on April 17. Lambert’s start on April 17 against the St. Louis Cardinals was his first appearance in Major League Baseball since appearing with the Colorado Rockies on August 22, 2024. With a career 6.28 ERA over four seasons with the Rockies and a nearly two-year hiatus from the MLB, the Astros likely did not have high expectations for him when he was called up this season, outside of filling innings until their rotation returns to full strength.
Peter Lambert Excelling With Astros
It is a very small sample size; Lambert has only started four games for the Astros this season. But the Astros currently are beggars not choosers, and Lambert has been a needed spark for the club. In both his wins against the Cleveland Guardians and Los Angeles Dodgers, Lambert has been excellent. Over 13 innings in the two starts, Lambert has allowed a combined six hits, zero earned runs, and 12 Ks to seven BBs. Outdueling Shohei Ohtani in the process. The walks are an issue; Lambert has allowed 10 BBs over his last three starts. But he also has effectively punched out batters, posting a combined 16 Ks in his first two starts.
Beyond the stats, the bottom line is Lambert has delivered two quality starts for a struggling Astros club against two first-place clubs in the MLB. Tying him for the team lead in quality starts with Lance McCullers Jr. and Spencer Arrighetti. The Astros have won three of four games and are finally looking to turn the corner this season. That brief momentum is slightly halted with the news that Astros infielder Carlos Correa will undergo surgery on a torn tendon in his left ankle. But the Astros still have plenty of offensive firepower, and if Lambert can continue to provide them with quality outings on the pitching side, that will be invaluable.
Roll out the Red Carpet. #ChaseTheFight pic.twitter.com/XOTHriOVNF
— Houston Astros (@astros) May 6, 2026
Injuries and Adversity
Plenty of pitchers have had their careers written off after pitching for the Rockies. There’s a reason Coors Field is known as the place where pitchers go to die. Lambert was drafted by the Rockies in the second round of the 2015 MLB Draft from San Dimas High School in San Dimas, California. Lambert struggled in his debut season in 2019. In 19 games, Lambert went 3-7 with a 7.25 ERA. He was plagued by the home run ball, allowing 18 home runs. Opposing lineups were teeing off on Lambert’s four-seam fastball, hitting .308. His four-seamer that season was worth -11 run value, per Statcast.
To make matters worse, Lambert would miss all of the shortened 2020 season and play just two games in the 2021 season due to Tommy John surgery. The injuries did not stop there. The Rockies re-signed Lambert to a one-year contract ahead of the 2022 season. But Lambert suffered a right forearm injury on April 4 that season. Causing him to miss 44 games before he was optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque for the rest of the season.
Yes, Lambert’s rookie season was bad. But he’s a rookie pitching at Coors Field for his home games. Chase Dollander’s rookie season was pretty bad, too, and he’s looked awfully good this year. This is not saying Lambert would have seen the same success Dollander has in his sophomore season if Lambert hadn’t gotten hurt. But it has to be said that Lambert faced a stacked deck against him following his rough rookie season.
Steady Improvement and Perseverance
Lambert underwent successful Tommy John surgery on July 23, 2020. But even if he had been healthy, the difficulties of the Covid-shortened 2020 season would have thrown a wrench into Lambert’s development anyway. Due to Lambert’s surgery and the forearm injury he suffered in 2022, Lambert played two MLB games in three years. That easily could have ended a lot of players’ careers. But Lambert persevered, playing in 43 games for the Rockies during 2023-24. Playing much better as well.
2019:
- Pitching run value: -23
- Fastball run value: -11
- xERA: 6.08
- 16.9 whiff%
- 13.6 K%
2023:
- Pitching run value: -15
- Fastball run value: -3
- xERA: 5.48
- 21.6 whiff%
- 18.9 K%
Still plenty of room for improvement, but undoubtedly better than his rookie year. He was even better in 2024, pitching almost exclusively out of the bullpen. But Lambert was still well below league average in several categories and spent 2025 in free agency before the Astros signed him to a minor-league contract on October 31, 2025.
He was resigned by the Astros to a minor-league contract on March 27 this season and is now taking full advantage of his latest opportunity in the Majors. Multiple times, Lambert has faced serious possibilities of his career coming to an end. Each time, he has bounced back and is one of the best surprise stories early on in the MLB this season.
Main Photo Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images
