AJ Blubaugh spent the entire regular season coming out of the bullpen.
His first start of 2026 will come in the postseason.
The Astros will start Blubaugh in Game 1 of the American League Wild Card Series against the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday at Daikin Park. Houston plans to use a bullpen game as it navigates a rotation left without a rested conventional starter.
It’s a remarkable assignment for a rookie who became one of Houston’s most dependable and versatile pitchers during the regular season.
From Reliever to Game 1 Starter
Blubaugh appeared in 64 games this season without making a start, finishing 5-3 with a 3.66 ERA, 94 strikeouts, and a 1.23 WHIP over 96 innings. He also recorded one save.
Those 96 innings led all major-league relievers. Blubaugh worked multiple innings in 37 of his 64 appearances, making him a natural choice to begin a game the Astros expect to piece together with several pitchers.
His longest outing of the season was 3â…” innings on May 3. Houston used him in shorter, higher-leverage situations more often late in the season, and he did not exceed 32 pitches in an appearance after Aug. 1.
A Bullpen Game to Open October
Houston’s pitching situation is largely a product of what it took to reach the postseason.
The Astros needed until Game 162 to clinch the AL West. Using a bullpen game Tuesday allows Hunter Brown to start Game 2 on regular rest, with Hayden Wesneski lined up for a potential Game 3 on regular rest.
Blubaugh enters Game 1 rested. He last pitched Friday and did not appear in either of the final two regular-season games, giving him three full days without pitching before Tuesday.
How long Houston asks him to work remains to be seen. But his regular-season usage suggests this won’t necessarily be a traditional one-inning opener. With 37 multi-inning appearances this season, Blubaugh gives the Astros some flexibility if he is effective early.
Behind him, Houston finally has its most important late-inning arms rested. Josh Hader last pitched Wednesday, while Bryan Abreu last appeared Thursday. Neither pitched during the four-game series against the Athletics.
Quite a First Start
Blubaugh’s season has been defined by doing whatever Houston needed.
He pitched in virtually every situation and finished the year with more innings than any other reliever in baseball.
Now the Astros need something else.
They need someone to start their postseason.
Blubaugh gets the ball Tuesday at 4:10 p.m. CT at Daikin Park, with Houston’s postseason beginning exactly where his regular season never did: in the starting rotation.
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