Astros’ Rotation Has Turned a Corner. Can It Go the Distance?
For most of the season, the Astros would have happily accepted the problem they have now. After months of injuries, inconsistency, and a revolving door of starting pitchers, Houston’s rotation has suddenly become one of the biggest reasons the team is…
Astros Still Searching for the Right Version of Tatsuya Imai
The Astros signed Tatsuya Imai last winter expecting him to become an important part of their pitching staff. With September underway and Houston fighting for the AL West title, they are still trying to figure out how he can help. The latest experiment…
Go Safe or Go Home: How Teams Are Pitching Around Yordan Alvarez
There are worse problems to have than a hitter opposing pitchers are increasingly unwilling to face. Every intentional walk to Yordan Alvarez gives the Houston Astros a free baserunner and another opportunity to score. But the walks are also telling the…
Astros Move Tatsuya Imai to Bullpen Ahead of Rangers Series
The Houston Astros will move Tatsuya Imai to the bullpen, at least for this weekend’s series against the Texas Rangers, manager Joe Espada said before Friday’s opener. The decision follows Imai’s latest short outing, a start Monday at…
Spencer Arrighetti Lands on Injured List
The Houston Astros placed starter Spencer Arrighetti on the 15-day injured list Saturday with right foot nerve irritation, a day after he exited his start against the White Sox before the second inning. Houston recalled left-hander Bryan King from…
Failed Offseason Leaves Astros Shopping for Pitching Again
Nate Pearson’s designation for assignment Sunday did more than end another brief Astros tenure. It underscored why Houston enters the trade deadline still searching for pitching despite spending the offseason trying to solve that very problem. Of…
Astros Send Mike Burrows to Triple-A, Face Rotation Decision Before Break
Houston’s rotation shortage is no closer to being resolved. The Astros optioned right-hander Mike Burrows to Triple-A Sugar Land on Tuesday, and with one turn through the rotation still remaining before the All-Star break, the club now has to…
Tatsuya Imai’s Jekyll-and-Hyde Season Is Testing the Astros’ Patience
The Houston Astros did not commit $54 million to Tatsuya Imai hoping the right version would show up every fifth day. They signed him to stabilize the middle of their rotation. Twelve starts into his Major League Baseball career, that stability remains…
Astros Option Kai-Wei Teng, Call Up Miguel Ullola
The Houston Astros optioned right-hander Kai-Wei Teng to Triple-A Sugar Land following Saturday’s win over the Tigers, calling up pitching prospect Miguel Ullola in a corresponding move. Teng acknowledged after Saturday’s game that he has…
Astros Call Up Miguel Ullola for Major League Debut
The Houston Astros are calling up right-handed pitching prospect Miguel Ullola from Triple-A Sugar Land ahead of Sunday’s series finale against the Tigers, with the 24-year-old set to make his major-league debut. Ullola, already on the 40-man…