Houston Astros: Injuries have stymied top prospect Rogelio Armenteros

Houston Astros pitcher Rogelio Armenteros, one of the team’s top prospects, has been shelved with injuries. What’s the latest with the righty?

The Houston Astros are now within their first week of Spring Training while they tune-up for the start of the regular season toward the end of next month. Can you believe Spring Training is already here?

Many of us are likely feeling that Spring Training could’ve have come soon enough in order for this team to get back to the business of playing baseball and not constantly being on the defense.

Sadly, this is what the 2020 campaign is going to be about. The team will constantly have their guard up and the task of protecting not only the image of the team but the Houston Astros brand itself will be highest of priorities amid their sign-stealing scandal.

As much as Houston Astros owner Jim Crane would like to downplay things, the brand that he owns is under attack and they’ve got to do everything they can to protect it. The bottom line is most important to a business owner and one has to wonder if they will take a hit from that this season as a result of the news as well as MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred’s scathing report of the Houston Astros‘ actions from 2017-18.

In addition, the team also will be dealing with how to fill the pitching portion of the roster, which suffered huge losses from the departures of Gerrit Cole and Will Harris.

The team still has two aces in Justin Verlander and Zack Greinke but it remains to be seen what the effect will be with Lance McCullers Jr. returning from Tommy John‘s surgery after missing all of 2019 rehabbing from it.

The remaining starting spots are up for grabs with Brad Peacock and Framber Valdez the likely candidates to fill things out. Valdez had a strong outing in the team’s initial Spring Training game this past Sunday so he may be finally showing signs of progression after being a disappointment last season.

But another blow has been dealt to the Houston Astros‘ bullpen.

Rogelio Armenteros, ranked 27th among the Houston Astros‘ top 40 prospects via FanGraphs,

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will be shelved likely for the rest of the Spring Training season.

He’s been experiencing elbow and shoulder soreness and he certainly was a guy this team would likely be leaning on from the bullpen this season. The Houston Astros did sign veteran relief hurler Jared Hughes but I think Armenteros’ presence would’ve been able to help with depth.

The 25-year-old, 215-pound Cuban pitcher sported a 4.00 ERA, tossed 18 strikeouts to eight earned runs along with a 1.22 WHIP and 2.77 FIP through five games — two starts — toward the final stretch of last season.

So what’s next?

The Houston Astros still have Jose Urquidy, Josh James and Bryan Abreu outside of the featured bullpen guys in Roberto Osuna, Joe Smith and Ryan Pressly.

Next. Derek Jeter weighs in on Astros' sign-stealing scandal. dark

I’m sure they’ll be fine in Armenteros’ absence but it would’ve been interesting to see how he would’ve performed had he gotten the opportunity to play this Spring.

We’ll just have to wait a bit longer for it.

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