Astros' starting rotation struggles seemingly continue in prospect's debut

The Houston Astros have faced one of the most adversity filled seasons of any team in the entire league this season, namely to their pitching staff.

Lance McCullers Jr has yet to make his 2024 debut, still building back up from a shoulder injury. Luis Garcia is also yet to make his 2024 debut as he recovers from an elbow injury. Both McCullers and Garcia are hopeful to make a return this season.

Cristian Javier and Jose Urquidy both underwent Tommy John Surgery within weeks of each other, losing two more starters for the next two seasons.

JP France and Justin Verlander have also landed on the 15-day IL with less serious injuries.

This has resulted in the Astros getting desperate with their pitching staff, recently calling up their 10th-ranked prospect, Jake Bloss, straight from Double-A to make his debut. His debut went well, but the aftermath is reminiscent of how the Astros season has gone to this point.

Top Astros pitching prospect Jake Bloss makes impressive debut, lands on IL after

A year ago, Jake Bloss was still in college, pitching at Georgetown en route to a Big East Pitcher of the Year award. Now, a year later, Bloss is being called up and thrown to the wolves for an Astros team that's desperately chasing a playoff berth.

Bloss gave Houston 3.2 innings and allowed two runs against a very talented Baltimore Orioles team. He kept Houston in the game, and though he didn't receive the win in the book, he was a tremendous part of grabbing a much-needed win.

But the celebration couldn't last too long for Houston or Bloss. It wasn't long after exiting the game that it was announced that Bloss would land on the injured list with what was called right shoulder discomfort.

Bloss, a promising young prospect, will now have to work his way back to health and his eventual way back to the big leagues. The start, though short and ending in injury, was a promising one that should create great optimism in the Astros fan base.

Houston will need to get active at the trade deadline for a starting pitcher though. Bloss is just one year and 20 games into his big-league career. He's not really in the situation or health to be a piece in a playoff push, especially given that the Astros have a ton of ground to make up.