The Houston Astros have optioned right-hander Jason Alexander to Triple-A Sugar Land as the club continues trimming its roster ahead of Opening Day.
Alexander, 33, had a mixed Grapefruit League showing. After a difficult debut in which he allowed four runs without recording an out, he rebounded with back-to-back scoreless appearances. But Saturday’s start against Miami—two runs allowed in the fourth inning before an early exit—came at an unfortunate time as Houston evaluates its final pitching decisions.
The move is not unexpected given the crowd in the Astros’ rotation picture. Houston currently projects to open the season with Hunter Brown, Cristian Javier, Tatsuya Imai, Mike Burrows, and Spencer Arrighetti, while AJ Blubaugh, Ryan Weiss, and Nate Pearson have also been competing for roles on the pitching staff.
Alexander now heads to Sugar Land to provide experienced depth. That role proved valuable last season: After the Astros claimed him off waivers in May, he stabilized the pitching staff during a difficult stretch and finished the year with a 3.66 ERA across 71.1 innings.
With injuries always a factor over a 162-game season, Alexander remains a logical call-up candidate if Houston needs help on the mound later this year.