The Houston Astros have maintained one of baseball's premier pitching rotations despite losing starter Spencer Arrighetti to a freak thumb injury in early April. It was originally unclear how the club would navigate his absence, though manager Joe Espada has relied on Ryan Gusto to do so.
Gusto has filled in admirably, though Espada has elected to move him to the bullpen "for now." While the shift's ostensibly temporary, there haven't been any substantial Arrighetti updates since he was placed on the 15-day injured list on Apr. 8. Moreover, right-hander Ronel Blanco has struggled this season, lasting more than five innings in just one of his six starts.
Between Arrighetti's uncertain health status and Blanco's shortcomings, Houston's success from the mound is borderline unsustainable. However, the Astros can fix the problem before it happens with an intriguing in-house solution in their minor league system: Colton Gordon.
For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work onThe Baseball Insiders podcast, subscribe to The Moonshot, our weekly MLB newsletter, and join the discord to get the inside scoop during the MLB season.
Colton Gordon can elevate the Houston Astros' starting rotation
Gordon is Houston's top left-handed pitching prospect. He followed up a solid 2024 campaign with Triple-A Sugar Land with an even better 2025 showing thus far. The 26-year-old now has a track record of thriving at the highest level in the minors, so the Astros should consider giving him a shot.
Across seven starts with the Space Cowboys this season, Gordon is 3-0 with a 2.48 ERA, 1.266 WHIP and 34 strikeouts. He doesn't have overpowering stuff and lacks velocity despite his 6-foot-4 frame. Nevertheless, the 26-year-old makes up for the mentioned weaknesses with great command and off-speed movement.
Houston added Gordon to the 40-man roster this past November to protect him from Rule 5 Draft exposure. They didn't deploy the southpaw and eventually optioned him in March. But there's no time like the present for an Astros squad trying to defend its status as the four-time defending American League West champions.
Veteran hurler Lance McCullers Jr. made his first outing since Game 3 of the 2022 World Series. It was an encouraging performance, especially after overcoming various injuries and setbacks to his throwing arm. But can the Stros trust him to return to anything resembling All-Star form? Or are they better off turning to someone like Gordon, who's healthy and has flashed upside?