The Astros are in the midst of a 17 game stretch without a day off. This period strains the Astros’ starting pitching depth. In order to avoid stressing the rotation’s arms, the Astros may rely on a six man rotation. However, half of the pitchers in this rotation have question marks. It shapes up as a potential bumpy ride over the next couple of weeks.
From the beginning of the off-season, I flagged pitching depth as a potential problem in 2025. The Astros chose not to replace Verlander and Kikuchi with free agent signings. Instead, the Astros acquired Hayden Wesneski in the Kyle Tucker trade and put their hope in a long list of surgically repaired pitchers.