The Houston Astros pitching woes seem never-ending! A team that was supposed to be a star-studded lineup ended up being a group of struggling pitchers. Even for 2024, a couple of pitchers are keeping the entire pitching department alive. Speaking in numbers, Houston’s used 24 pitchers for the ongoing season. Of these, the 22 pitchers playing for the Astros were all from the 2022 MLB season. Also, the Astros reached the ALCS 2023 consecutively for the seventh time, but in 2024, the pitching department of the astronauts is not looking promising. 

In a nutshell, the pitching department’s starting pitchers have caused the main trouble. Lance McCullers Jr, Jose Uruquidy, and Luis Garcia are yet to play in the 2024 season.  Also, Framber Valdez was injured right after he started the 2024 MLB season. Amid growing concerns, SportsMap hosts Brandon Strange and Charlie Pallilo discussed the ongoing pitching crisis of the Houston Astros. 

A glance at Strange and Pallilo’s words on Houston Astros pitching

Taking the mound against the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday, Forrest Whitley became the 22nd pitcher Astros used this season. This clearly shows that the team is dealing with injuries, and sharing his thoughts on such pitching issues, Charlie Pallilo said, “It’s not absolutely essential that if Dana Brown doesn’t add a starting pitcher the Astros are doomed.  But if Dana Brown doesn’t add a starting pitcher on that specific criterion, he’d have failed as a general manager.” Indeed, all the starting pitchers of the Astros are injured and yet again, Houston needed the veteran Verlander to lead the team’s pitching. 

Eventually, with the return of Justin Verlander, things looked improved. He has a 1-1 record, along with an ERA of 5.66 and massive 19 strikeouts. What’s more impressive is that Verlander has achieved the following stats in just 4 appearances of his last five games. But Houston lost pitcher Cristian Javier almost immediately. Therefore, while Verlander had a good outing and earned a quality start, Javier also had a good season before he got injured. 

Having multiple senior player injuries, the Houston Astros turned to young arms. Out of these, Ronel Blanco has had a good career at the club. Throughout his four outings, Blanco has maintained a solid ERA of 1.33. However, adding to the misery, another young pitcher, Hunter Brown, was another player who performed below par. Eventually, due to a lack of experience in pitching, the Astros allowed 24 runs while getting 24 or a few outs throughout three games. Still, despite the mediocre pitching of the Houston Astros, their manager Dana Brown’s recent statements could deploy some hope for the team and fans. 

Astros manager Dana Brown’s take on MLB trade deadline

Speaking about the MLB trade, the 30th July deadline is inching closer. Most importantly, Dana Brown is searching for a starting pitcher to boost their battered rotation. Speaking with Brian LaLima of SportsTalk 790, Brown said, “We’re gonna do whatever we gotta do. It takes two sides, but it has to make sense for the club. If not, we’ll ask one of these young kids to step up.” Unarguably, while most young Houston pitchers are struggling, Spencer Arrighetti is shining. He is the youngest pitcher in MLB history, having a start of 0 R,0 BB, and 10+ K. Also, he is the 3rd-youngest pitcher in the entire MLB, just behind Jared Jones and DJ Herz. 

Currently, the Houston Astros’s pitching is riding on a four-man rooster. Ronel Biamnco, Hunter Brown, Framber Valdez, and the young gun Spencer Arrighetti. Also, the right-hander Jake Bloss returned from a shoulder injury against the Miami Marlins. The team won Thursday’s game 6-3 with the heroics of Jake Bloss. Against the Marlins, he allowed just two runs on four hits and had a single walk over his four innings. Also, he struck out four batters in his first start after the injury. 

Struggling throughout the 2024 season, the Astros have climbed the rankings. With 50 wins and 44 losses, they are just two wins behind the Mariners (52-44). Altogether, if the Astros could trade in a potential pitcher within the trade deadline, they could climb the leaderboard and show their dominance in the 2024 season. Will the Houston Astros go after a pitcher, or will they stick with the same team? What’s your take? Let us know in the comments.