Relying on Returning Pitchers a Risky Bet for Astros’ Rotation

The Houston Astros have had an extremely successful first half of the season, creating a significant lead in the American League West standings.

After what was a wild winter of moves for the Astros, this was a hard team to figure out heading into 2025.

With years of success, Houston has seemingly not missed a beat despite reshaping its roster. The notable decision to trade Kyle Tucker was arguably the most shocking move of the offseason, and it would have been understandable to see the team take a step back after losing a player of that caliber.

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However, the early return from the trade package has worked out well for the Astros, with both Isaac Paredes and Cam Smith producing well. While the offense might not be as good as it has been in years past, a significant reason for this is the struggles of some of their talented veterans.

Even though the batting order might be a bit of a disappointment, the bullpen has been fantastic for the team, led by their All-Star closer, Josh Hader.

Furthermore, while the bullpen has arguably been the best part of the team so far, Houston also boasts two great pitchers at the top of the rotation who have performed very well.

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Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report recently wrote about the Astros surviving in the first half of the season despite injuries being a major factor in their starting rotation.

“Hunter Brown and Framber Valdez have been excellent, while Ryan Gusto, Colton Gordon, and Brandon Walter have been, well, replacement-level players while Spencer Arrighetti, Luis Garcia, and Cristian Javier look to work their way back from the IL in the next month or so.”

Injuries were an issue for the starting rotation in 2024, and it has once again been a problem in 2025. Fortunately, some of the issues have been covered up by the talented duo of Hunter Brown and Framber Valdez, but the depth of the rotation is certainly an issue.

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Houston is expecting some pitchers to return from the injured list this summer, but it’s hard to predict what type of production they might receive from players who have missed a ton of time.

While Spencer Arrighetti seems like he can have the biggest impact upon his return, it would behoove the Astros to seek some external options to help as well.

With a chance once again to win the AL, the Astros would be wise to get some help for their aces in the rotation.

For more Astros news, head over to Astros On SI.