Astros pitching staff takes another hit with Andre Scrubb injury

The Houston Astros can’t catch a break in spring training.

The Astros pitching staff is in shambles, and it’s of not fault of their own. Houston already knew they’d be without ace Justin Verlander until August at the earliest. Add in injuries to Framber Valdez and Forrest Whitley, and the Astros starting rotation looks to be a weakness before Opening Day, despite bringing Jake Odorizzi into the fold.

Now, the bullpen is suffering. Pedro Baez is unlikely to be ready come early April. On Friday, reliever Andre Scrubb went down with a concerning ailment as well. Scrubb left the game with general arm soreness, but he was visibly frustrated when walking off the mound. It’s unlikely that’s a good thing.

Can the Houston Astros overcome injuries to pitching staff?

Valdez’s outlook is more positive than initially thought, as Dusty Baker has even compared his healing powers to Predator. Yet, despite this glimmer of hope, Houston’s rotation is rough on the back end. Zack Greinke is the unquestioned ace of this group with Verlander out, followed by Odorizzi as the No. 2 starter. Cristian Javier, Lance McCullers and Jose Urquidy will have to fill out the rotation for now.

A questionable rotation would be fine assuming the Astros had a reliable bullpen to lessen some of the load. Unfortunately, injuries to Scrubb and Baez — however minor — will less the impact for now. It remains to be seen just how effective the likes of Ryan Pressly, Brooks Raley and Enoli Paredes can be closing out regular season games.

Hopefully Scrubb will not miss significant time, and provide the Astros bullpen with some much-needed relief while he’s at it.