4 Astros players who won't survive May on the MLB roster

No team was more disappointing in the first month of the 2024 season than the Houston Astros. Yes, injuries have absolutely derailed them, but even the healthy players have performed well below expectations with few exceptions.

Houston has won three in a row entering play on Wednesday to bring them to 10-19 on the season. Yes, they were as many as 12 games under .500 at one point.

Fortunately for the Astros, reinforcements are on the way. Once they get healthier, they'll be able to attempt to make a run, and can potentially send these four struggling players down.

4) Trey Cabbage won't be on the Astros roster for long

The Astros claimed Trey Cabbage off of waivers from the Los Angeles Angels in the offseason to give them another depth option. He doesn't have much MLB experience, but he hit 30 home runs and stole 32 bases for AAA Salt Lake last season in the Angels system. Those numbers were boosted a bit with Cabbage playing in the PCL, but he clearly has some talent.

He forced his way onto the Astros' roster by posting a .925 OPS in his first 20 games for AAA Sugar Land this season, hitting three home runs and stealing seven bases. With their recent recall of Joey Loperfido Cabbage won't play much, but he can provide depth in the outfield and at first base.

So far, Cabbage has appeared in two games for the Astros, starting one, and recording one hit in his two at-bats. He's here with Chas McCormick on the IL, but assuming McCormick comes back sometime in May, Cabbage won't have much of a role.

3) Jacob Amaya is nothing more than a short-term replacement on the Astros roster

The Miami Marlins acquired Jacob Amaya in an offseason trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers, expecting him to be part of their plans at shortstop potentially in the present and the future. Unfortunately, Amaya didn't hit much in AAA and only appeared in four games for the Marlins.

Amaya recorded two hits, both singles, in his nine at-bats for Miami in his cup of coffee and his struggles in Spring Training led to the team eventually DFA'ing and trading him to the Astros.

Amaya was brought in to provide some middle infield depth and with Grae Kessinger on the IL, he's getting his chance. He didn't do much to earn it considering his .644 OPS in AAA, but he's here nonetheless. Presumably when the Astros get one of McCormick or Kessinger back, he'll be headed back down to the minors.

2) Spencer Arrighetti hasn't earned much rope on the Astros roster

The injuries Houston has suffered have primarily been to their starting pitchers. Right now, they have four starting pitchers on the IL and that's not even including Framber Valdez and Justin Verlander who recently returned from their injuries.

With so many pitching injuries Houston had to dig deep into their depth and wound up eventually promoting right-hander Spencer Arrighetti for his first MLB action. Arrighetti is Houston's No. 3 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, so it was exciting to see him get the call.

Unfortunately, he hasn't done much to warrant staying. Through three starts, the 24-year-old has a 10.97 ERA, allowing 13 runs in 10.2 innings pitched. He does have 15 strikeouts showing that he has some good stuff, but has walked seven batters and has allowed 18 hits. He has not gone more than four innings in a start, and has been unable to finish four frames in two of his three outings.

The potential is there for Arrighetti to contribute in the future, but he's not ready now.

1) Hunter Brown is pitching his way off of the Astros roster

Easily the biggest name on this list is Hunter Brown, who looks like a shell of himself. Brown looked excellent for much of the first half of last season but struggled mightily with a 6.57 second-half ERA and has seen those struggles carry over into this season.

Through his six starts this season, Brown has a 9.78 ERA. He has allowed a league-leading 29 runs in 23 innings of work. It has been a disaster.

Granted, a lot of the damage comes from his start in Kansas City in which he allowed nine runs and only recorded two outs, but Brown has failed to complete five innings in four of his six starts and has allowed five runs or more in three of the six. He has allowed more runs than innings pitched in three of the six, which is never a recipe for success.

The Astros can't afford to send Brown down now with all of their injuries, but there were positive updates with both Cristian Javier and Jose Urquidy suggesting they might be able to return sometime within the month. If that is the case, the Astros should strongly consider sending Brown down to get him straightened out.