The Houston Astros are preparing to get into postseason mode as the summer dies down. August is almost over, meaning it's only a matter of time before September is here, followed by the MLB playoffs, and momentum is on the Astros' side as they lead the American League West with 71 wins as of Saturday morning.
Players must be on an MLB roster as of 11:59 p.m. ET on Aug. 31 if they want to play in the playoffs, and the Astros are giving a new opportunity for someone to be in the postseason mix. KPRC 2 Houston's Ari Alexander is reporting that Houston has called up right-handed pitcher AJ Blubaugh from Triple-A Sugar Land.
Source: The #Astros are calling up RHP AJ Blubaugh. pic.twitter.com/g3MIRnSkmo
— Ari Alexander (@AriA1exander) August 23, 2025
Blubaugh has played two games with the Astros this season, with the most recent coming when he struck out five batters in as many innings with two runs allowed in a 7-3 win over the Miami Marlins on Aug. 5. He's pitched well in the minors since then, culminating in Saturday's call-up.
Nevertheless, Blubaugh's promotion isn't good news for everyone. One Astros pitcher could lose his job if the 25-year-old righty exceeds expectations.
Astros RHP Kaleb Ort Could Lose Job After AJ Blubaugh Call-Up
Veteran reliever Kaleb Ort has been on thin ice with Astros fans throughout the 2025 campaign, and Blubaugh's call-up could spell bad news if his struggles persist.
Ort was a reliable bullpen arm for the Astros last year, pitching to a 2.55 ERA and 0.811 WHIP in 22 relief appearances. Unfortunately, he hasn't been close to that player this season. The Grand Rapids, MI native's ERA is sitting at 4.69 through his first 43 outings while allowing a career-worst 5.4 walks per nine innings. Not only is his walk rate (14.2%) noticeably worse than the MLB average (8.4%), but his .733 OPS allowed is also a far cry from last year's effort (.653).
Ort's struggles were perfectly encapsulated in his performance against the Baltimore Orioles on Friday night. The 6-foot-4 hurler entered in the eighth inning and gave up a home run and four hits despite only facing five batters in 2/3 innings of work, and was removed from the game before the frame was over.
The Astros can't trust Ort with a lead, and the last thing they need is for his issues to persist into the postseason. If Blubaugh can handle whatever Houston throws his way, the promising prospect could steal Ort's spot in the bullpen, especially if the latter continues to do himself no favors.
With the MLB playoff roster deadline a week away, the pressure is on for Ort to step up before it's too late.