The Houston Astros have been able to stay afloat in the American League West race, but they may be running out of time. 18 players are currently on the injured list ahead, as Houston hosts a weekend series with the Athletics, and while some players such as Jeremy Peña and Yordan Alvarez are due back soon, they also may need to bring in outside reinforcements at next week’s trade deadline.
That urgency was taken up a notch with the Astros' latest injury news, and it could put one weakness into focus as Houston loads up in the next several days.
The Astros Need a Starting Pitcher After Brandon Walter Lands on IL
The Astros announced on Friday afternoon that they are placing starting pitcher Brandon Walter on the 15-day injured list due to left elbow inflammation. The left-hander was one of several arms that have stepped up in the Astros rotation in recent weeks and went 1-3 with a 3.35 ERA in nine starts since his initial call-up on May 20.
We have made the following roster moves: pic.twitter.com/P89oHwDhJx
— Houston Astros (@astros) July 25, 2025
Walter’s performance has been part of a group that has helped Houston endure a rash of injuries in the rotation. Cristian Javier and Luis Garcia have missed the entire season to date recovering from Tommy John surgery, and Spencer Arrighetti, Ronel Blanco, J.P. France, and Hayden Wesneski are all currently on the 60-day injured list with Lance McCullers joining them this week.
With Ryan Gusto (6-3, 4.46 ERA) and Colton Gordon (4-2, 4.53) also taking on bigger roles, Walter noted the pride the group has taken in his performance after allowing one run over seven innings with five strikeouts and a walk in Wednesday’s win over the Arizona Diamondbacks.
“A lot of these guys I opened up with in [Triple-A] Sugar Land,” Walter said via Matt Kawahara of The Houston Chronicle. “A lot of these faces are familiar, even though they weren’t here at the beginning of the season. And they’re all good players. Just because they’re not the first man up in the beginning of the season doesn’t mean they’re not good players. Everybody’s proving that they’re worthy of being in the big leagues and being contributors.”
While Walter has been one of the unsung heroes of the season, the Astros will need to scramble to find another one. Many of Houston’s efforts have been to find a left-handed second baseman ahead of the deadline, but adding a healthy pitcher could be considered a Plan B. Unless the Astros want to add another arm to the bullpen, starting pitching is climbing their list of needs and could spur some action.