With Hunter Brown going on the IL and Cristian Javier’s pronounced struggles, the KBO star may be getting his chance to start for Houston sooner than later.
Ryan Weiss was not a big name on the free agent market this offseason. In fact, he had never pitched in an MLB game.
Astros GM Dana Brown, however, made the decision to sign him out of the KBO, where he had just led his team to Korea’s version of the World Series.
Weiss was coming off his best season as a professional. A 16-5 record with a 2.87 ERA and 1.024 WHIP for Hanwha, including 207K in 178.2 innings. He showed he could throw the innings and miss bats.
He wanted an MLB chance, Brown gave it to him.
When Weiss signed in Houston, he was told he would be given a chance to compete for a starting role. Despite pitching well in spring, it was always going to be an uphill battle for him to win a spot in the rotation to start the year. Before the season started, Manager Joe Espada informed him he would begin the year in the bullpen.
The Astros, however, have dealt with a litany of injuries to their starting pitching the last two seasons, had a large pair of shoes to fill in the departing Framber Valdez, and were counting on several pitchers (Cristian Javier, Lance McCullers Jr., Spencer Arrighetti) who were returning from injury shortened seasons. There was a good chance at some point, Weiss’ number would be called to start.
That time may be this week.
The Astros announced today that staff ace Hunter Brown was going on the 15-day IL with a right shoulder strain. Brown felt something Friday during his throwing program.
While the exact extent of Brown’s injury is not yet publicly known, that it is his shoulder is certainly worrisome. For a pitching staff already without it’s closer (also coming back from a shoulder injury) and one of the starters they were counting on in Javier having extreme command struggles early on, the depth that GM Dana Brown built this offseason is going to be tested quickly.
Espada said today that he doesn’t know who will start for the team tomorrow in Denver when it faces the Rockies for 3 games at Coors Field. Brown was scheduled to make his third start of the season.
Weiss last pitched three scoreless innings on Friday, likely making him unavailable for starter duty on Tuesday on just 3 days rest. However he could certainly be in line for a start later in the week, or the next time Brown’s turn comes along.
It is possible the Astros could use Weiss is a somewhat lesser capacity, knowing he is on short rest for Tuesday but still using him for multiple innings (2, maybe 3 depending on pitch count). A.J. Blubaugh last worked Wednesday and would be on full starter’s length rest, but he is not stretched out enough to go more than three innings right now. Blubaugh also appears to be becoming a more important leverage arm at the back of the Astros pen right now.
A tandem approach with Blubaugh and Weiss could get the team though potentially 5 innings, before ceding to the rest of the pen. Cody Bolton, who pitched 3 innings Tuesday, would also be available for multiple inning duty as well.
While not an ideal plan, it would allow the Astros to get Weiss on Brown’s schedule.
Spencer Arrighetti, whom the team planned to call up once they start their stretch of 13 straight games on April 10, just threw 4.1 innings of scoreless, hitless baseball with 9 strikeouts Friday. He would not be ready to go on Tuesday, and may likely would be utilized that first game on the 10th to push all the current starters back a day.
Losing Brown for any protracted period would be a tough blow for the Astros, but having Weiss able to fill the spot is exactly what the team may need.
That chance Ryan Weiss wanted to be a starter may be now.
