With Spencer Arrighetti and Lance McCullers Jr. both traded away, the Astros are down to a smaller group of arms to carry this rotation into the final stretch of the season.
First, there is Peter Lambert, who has been their most reliable arm throughout the entire season. He not only has given countless solid outings, but hasn't landed himself on the injured list once this entire season. Lambert leads the staff with 27 starts, going 8-10 with a 3.70 ERA, 147 strikeouts, and a 1.23 WHIP over 151 innings, the kind of consistency this rotation has needed all year.
Hayden Wesneski has also been a reliable arm, and one of the arms they had been waiting on all season. After countless pitching struggles and disappointments, Wesneski having a beneficial return was huge for the rotation. Attacking the zone, giving them length, and command, something they desperately needed. In his 8 starts since returning, Wesneski has gone 5-2 with a sharp 3.70 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP, striking out 38 over 48.2 innings.
Then, of course, there's their ace, Hunter Brown. Brown missed significant time with a shoulder strain, and the team took a hit because of it. Since his return, he did take some time to find his footing again, but once he did, he was very much so back to his old self. Brown sits at 6-3 with a 3.43 ERA and 110 strikeouts over 18 starts.
Cristian Javier joined Brown on the IL with the same injury, a right shoulder strain. Javier's return hasn't been as solid as Brown's, but he did give the Astros six scoreless innings recently against the Phillies, and for the first time looked really solid since the injury. That being said, he also had to make his way back from Tommy John last season, so it's been a long road back for Javier, likely leading to mixed results with his return.
Miguel Ullola has also been thrown into the mix. The 24-year-old rookie was Houston's top pitching prospect entering the season, and injuries up and down the rotation forced him into the majors way sooner than expected. He made his debut in June and has mostly worked in relief and spot starts since.
Ethan Pecko rounds out the group. Another young arm on the mound in high pressure situations. His outings have been a mixed bag, some strong, some rough, but that's to be expected for a rookie.
With Arrighetti and McCullers gone, this is the group the Astros have to lean on down the stretch. Three proven arms in Lambert, Wesneski, and Brown, a wild card in Javier, and two rookies in Ullola and Pecko still figuring things out.
There isn't much room for error left, especially with Houston now tied with the Rangers for first place in the AL West. How this staff holds up over these final games is going to decide whether the Astros hang onto the division or watch it slip away.
