It’s already been a weird year for pitching in Major League Baseball. In addition to the pitch clock and all the new rules designed to speed up the game, starting pitchers have been struggling with injuries across the league. Just look at some of the names on the injured list: Jacob deGrom, Johnny Cueto, Luis Severino, Carlos Rodon, Frankie Montas, Ranger Suarez, Robbie Ray and Jake Odorizzi. It’s quite a list.
This week, the Astros added a pair of players to what would be a pretty dominant rotation were all those players healthy and on the same team. Injuries are part of the game, but this year, it seems perhaps a bit worse. And the Astros are not immune.
Injuries Begin to Mount
In addition to having Lance McCullers, Jr., Michael Brantley, Chas McCormick and Jose Altuve on the shelf, the team added Jose Urquidy and Luis Garcia over just the last two days. Urquidy left his start with shoulder soreness. Fortunately, the MRI did not show any damage and he is expected to only miss about 10 to 15 days. Garcia, left after eight pitches on Monday night with pain in his pitching elbow — never a good sign. He is on the 15-day disabled list pending an MRI, but he will certainly miss at least a couple starts.
The good news is Brantley and McCormick are due back within the next week or two, and Altuve began fielding grounders this week. But, the pitching situation is a serious one.
Who’s Next?
With two starters hitting the IL, Brandon Bielak was brought up to fill at least one of the spots. He took over for Garcia on Monday and went four innings giving up two runs and striking out six. If he can hold it down for a week and Urquidy can return, the team may not have to make another move. But, if they do have to, who gets called up next is a question.
Matt Gage, the lefty reliever signed in the offseason, took Garcia’s spot on the roster on Tuesday, but a starter will eventually need to fill that spot if there are two holes in the rotation. The Astros will likely want to keep it on the 40-man roster meaning Forest Whitely or J.P. France. That’s assuming the need to call up a starter. Stay tuned.
Jose Abreu Continues to Struggle
It’s hard to pinpoint what is going on with the veteran first baseman. He clearly is not seeing pitches well and, according to hitting coach Alex Cintron, his mechanics may be an issue as well. To see someone of his caliber get jammed on 93-mph fastballs is pretty abnormal as my podcast co-host Geoff Blum pointed out to me on Tuesday. The Astros were counting on Abreu to provide consistency and pop in the middle of the order. So far, he’s given them neither. If history repeats itself, Abreu should return to form this month and gradually get better. The Astros better hope that is the case.
Corey Julks Has Earned His Spot
It’s a pretty good story. Local kid plays seven years in the minors only to finally be called up by his home town team and succeed. That’s what has happened to Julks who grew up in Friendswood and went on to play college ball at the University of Houston. In a move that surprised quite a few people, Julks made the Opening Day roster and has continued to produce. Coming into Tuesday, he was slashing .295/.300/.423/.723 with two homers and nine RBI. He’s also playing a very serviceable left field.
When Brantley returns from injury, it will be interesting to see how Julks is handled. No doubt Brantley will get time at DH, but so will Yordan Alvarez. Julks isn’t really a center fielder, so it is likely he ends up playing spot duty and getting time as a pinch hitter. He has certainly earned a spot on the roster regardless of what other players are out there.
This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2023.
