This story was excerpted from Brian McTaggart’s Astros Beat e-newsletter. To learn the total e-newsletter, click on right here. And subscribe to get it repeatedly in your inbox.
You should return to 2016 — the final time the Astros didn’t make the playoffs — to discover a Houston membership that had as few as 50 wins on the All-Star break and wasn’t in first place within the American League West. The defending World Series champions have underachieved in some areas, however accidents have performed an enormous position of their struggles.
Considering the accidents they’ve had, the very fact the Astros are solely two video games behind the Texas Rangers is spectacular. All-Star slugger Yordan Alvarez missed the ultimate 28 video games earlier than the break with an indirect harm and star second baseman Jose Altuve missed the primary 43 video games of the season with a fractured thumb and the final six video games with an indirect harm.
The Astros misplaced three-fifths of their beginning rotation to harm, though a type of pitchers, José Urquidy, might be again by the beginning of August. Alvarez and Altuve are nearing a return as properly, so there are causes for optimism within the second half.
In the meantime, let’s look again on the first half:
What we discovered within the first half
You can by no means have sufficient pitching. Yes, it appeared the Astros did have loads of pitching final yr after they ran by means of the playoffs and had the luxurious of stashing two starters (Urquidy and Luis Garcia) within the bullpen in October, however accidents have ravaged their rotation in ‘23. Four rookie starting pitchers have logged 35 starts in Houston’s 91 video games within the first half. They have helped hold the rotation aggressive and Urquidy is near returning, however the Astros may use one other pitcher.
Likely Trade Deadline technique
The Astros can be consumers, which ought to come as no shock. But Astros followers who’ve gotten used to the group pulling off influence midseason trades for the likes of Justin Verlander and Zack Greinke may wish to mood expectations. There’s a case to be made that getting Alvarez, Altuve and Urquidy again from the IL can be sufficient to bolster their playoff possibilities. And in the event that they do add, it most likely wouldn’t be a big-name participant or pitcher.
Alvarez. The slugger was main the Major Leagues with 55 RBIs when he injured his indirect swinging the bat on June 8 in Toronto and landed on the injured checklist. The Astros went 14-14 sans Alvarez within the 28 video games earlier than the break. He is predicted to start a Minor League rehab task shortly after getting back from the All-Star Game. Altuve can be near getting back from an indirect harm. Keep in thoughts that Alvarez and Altuve have been within the lineup collectively for under 13 video games in 2023 and the Astros are 10-3 in these video games.
Spencer Arrighetti. Could the Astros’ addition to the beginning rotation be one of many group’s high pitching prospects? Look at it this fashion: If the Astros aren’t going to amass a big-name pitcher, why not see what Arrighetti has to supply? And all it’ll price is a few service time.
Arrighetti, the group’s highest-ranked right-handed pitching prospect, had a 4.15 ERA with 79 strikeouts in 60 2/3 innings at Double-A earlier than getting promoted final month to Triple-A, the place he has a 4.50 ERA and 15 strikeouts in 12 innings.
Content Source: www.mlb.com