The Astros are in the midst of their best run of the season, winning five of their last six series including a tough weekender against the super hot Rays. It has come as the team has made numerous roster moves, including demoting one of their starters.
Some of the rising and falling of players has been related to injury, others out of necessity. Let’s break down the more notable moves.
Mike Burrows to Triple A
Burrows has struggled all season with an ERA of nearly six and giving up 21 homers. When GM Dana Brown traded for the starting right hander in the offseason, it was believed he could be a solid back-of-the-rotation starter, but his inconsistency and susceptibility to the long ball first saw him pushed into the bullpen. But when he returned as a starter and gave up a 6-1 lead against the Nats on Monday, the writing was on the wall.
Burrows has options remaining, so he did not have to clear waivers, and maybe going to Sugar Land will help him figure out whatever problems he is having on the mound. For the Astros, it means getting him out of the starting lineup at a time when they are winning ball games.
Kai-Wei Teng to Triple A the IL
Teng, after a surprisingly good start, was starting to show some fatigue. On his way down to Sugar Land, the team discovered an injury and sent him off to the IL instead. Teng has been a bright spot for a team that had some incredible struggles the first month and a half of the year. But, his star had recently been fading and it seemed pretty clear he needed a rest.
Jake Meyers/Joey Loperfido to Triple A
After coming off an injury, Loperfido had been suspect at the plate at best. With Zach Dezenzo’s return, even with a dearth of lefties on the bench, sending Loperfido down seemed the obvious move. What came as a bit of a shock was the demotion of Meyers. The Astros center fielder remains one of the best defensive outfielders in the AL with the main exception being his throwing arm, which has never seemed to recover since a shoulder injury in the 2021 postseason.
Now, Meyers will have to earn his way back onto the Major League club after continuing to be a liability at the plate. In his place, the Astros brought up the recently acquired LaMonte Wade, Jr.
Cristian Javier to the Majors and the Bullpen
After Hunter Brown’s return form an early season injury, Javier seemed to be next on the returning pitcher list. Instead of coming back into the starting lineup, Javier returned as a long reliever. Some of that may be to test his arm given he wasn’t great in his rehab assignments. Some of it is likely giving them an extra long reliever while he builds up innings to potentially get back in the rotation.
Either way, he has been solid in his return and given the Astros another quality arm in a bullpen that has been up and down all season.
