Operating with just four starters, the Houston Astros are still unclear on when two of their star pitchers may return from injury. With one week to play before the All-Star break, the Astros have been rolling. Houston has gone from last place in the division to trailing the first-place Mariners by just two games. Now firmly back into contention, the Astros received a troubling update on Tuesday about two of their star pitchers.
The Astros have a full six-man rotation on their injured list. While right-hander Luis Garcia’s rehab assignment is officially underway, the Astros are still without right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. and ace Justin Verlander. Astros manager Joe Espada told reporters on Tuesday that McCullers’ return from last year’s flexor surgery has hit a snag. Espada didn’t provide much detail, but the team has paused the righty’s throwing program after he experienced arm soreness coming out of his recent bullpen sessions. He said McCullers won’t throw for a few days “until we sit back down and reevaluate how we’re going to move forward.”
Verlander, who has been out since mid-June with neck discomfort, told reporters that he is “doing better” but he’s still unsure when he may return.
Astros Pitching Woes Deepen with Latest Injury Update
Throughout the season, Houston has pointed to the returns of Garcia and McCullers as possible stabilizers for their injury-plagued rotation. If all goes well with Garcia, he could be back around the start of August. But their rotation depth remains perhaps the team’s biggest question.
The Astros are already without right-handers Cristian Javier and José Urquidy who both underwent season-ending Tommy John surgery last month. Javier made seven starts for Houston this season, while Urquidy began the season on the injured list with forearm discomfort. Rookie Jake Bloss was placed on the injured list with shoulder discomfort after his MLB debut on June 21st. Leaving Houston operating with four starting pitchers. Framber Valdez, Hunter Brown, Ronel Blanco and Spencer Arrighetti are the only healthy starters on the 40-man roster.
While Bloss could start Thursday’s game against the Marlins, the rotation remains precarious. Houston threw two bullpen games over their 10-game road trip and will rely on two rookies to round out the rotation until their veterans return. Blanco’s emergence and Brown’s midseason turnaround have helped the Astros push back into contention for the AL West. But they are going to need more sources of reliable innings down the stretch.
Verlander is playing catch and said he is throwing more than every other day, but his timeline for ramping up remains unclear. As for McCullers, this may be merely a minor setback, and he can resume throwing in the coming days. Until some help arrives, though, whether internally or via trade, the Astros rotation will continue to operate on tenuous footing.
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