PT TOMORROW: AL WEST—Houston, we have a problem
May 11 2023
Long-term injuries to rotation mainstays José Urquidy and Luis García—the latter awaiting Tommy John surgery and out for the remainder of 2023—have suddenly left HOU in a precarious position while attempting to defend its AL West dominance. The lack of rotation depth was something we first noted here in February following the free agent defection of Justin Verlander. But these new IL casualties now stacked upon Lance McCullers' (RHP, HOU) pre-season elbow strain has the club scrambling way too early, calling up both Brandon Bielak (RHP, HOU) and J.P. France (RHP, HOU) for abbreviated starts—names that weren't prominent on IP projections anywhere at the beginning of 2023.
Both pitchers are late-20-somethings age-wise and...
Almost!
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