For all the chaos injuries have caused the Houston Astros this season, their bullpen has been a constant. The Astros were largely able to escape the injury bug among their relievers, ranking 11th in ERA and third in WHIP. But that luck ran out when Josh Hader was placed on the injured list with a shoulder injury.
With their lead over the Seattle Mariners for the lead in the American League West down to 1.5 games, the Astros' bullpen will be a big storyline over the final stretch. It led to a Houston reliever getting designated for assignment for the second time this season and the hope that they can patch things together until Hader returns.
Tayler Scott has been called up. Jordan Weems designated for assignment.
— Matt Kawahara (@matthewkawahara) August 18, 2025
Astros DFA Journeyman Reliever Jordan Weems
According to Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle, the Astros designated right-hander Jordan Weems for assignment on Monday. The move was made to accommodate the call-up of fellow reliever Tayler Scott, and has Weems looking for another team or a trip to the minors within the next week.
Weems was called up to the Astros roster on Friday and made two appearances for the team, tossing a scoreless inning in a 7-0 loss to the Orioles on Friday and allowing five earned runs while getting just one out in a 12-0 loss to Baltimore on Sunday. The latter performance was more indicative of his time in Houston, where he’s allowed seven earned runs in four appearances, amounting to a 14.54 ERA.
While Weems is off the roster, he may return. He was DFA’d by Houston earlier this year and elected free agency before signing a new minor league contract. The same thing could play out with Scott, who was designated for assignment one day after his call-up.
Scott was useful for Houston in 2024, posting a 2.23 ERA. But those numbers took a turn for the worse with a 6.66 ERA in 25.2 minor league innings this season, and giving up five earned runs in Monday's 10 loss to the Detroit Tigers was the final straw. A five-year veteran, Scott has become an immaculate grid legend, playing for eight different teams.
With the trade deadline passed, there aren’t many better options. But it may be how the Astros are going to manage their bullpen with Hader on the shelf and the Mariners closing in.