Pitching depth continues to be a looming issue for the Houston Astros. However, it is not because of performance.
As of May 20, the Astros’ pitching staff sports a 3.38 ERA (7th in MLB), a 1.12 WHIP (best in MLB), and an opponents batting average of .212 (2nd in MLB).
The issue? Injuries in the starting rotation.
Sunday the Astros announce Hayden Wesneski is now out for the year to undergo Tommy John surgery and Spencer Arrighetti is still not back to throwing yet after his pitching hand thumb was broken back in Seattle in early April.
They have had guys like Ryan Gusto, Logan VanWey, and recently Colton Gordon to fill the holes.
With Lance McCullers Jr. back, the Astros have some order returned to the rotation. LMJ is still working his way back, though, so there is that to consider.
Things can change. Players can get called up and sent down anytime depending on MiLB options. But the Astros need a sixth starter especially at this time to get through the final stretch of the 17 straight games they been on since May 9.
That is where Brandon Walter comes in.
Adversity Early in Pro Career
Walter hails from New Castle, DE, a town of 5,549 people as of 2023. The 28-year old lefty did not go far for college ball as he went on to play for the Delaware Blue Hens.
In 2019 he was drafted in the 26th round of the MLB Draft by the Boston Red Sox. But he had to battle through Tommy John surgery rehab at the same time.
He would make his debut on June 22, 2023 against the Minnesota Twins where he tossed a quality outing out of the bullpen.
6.2 IP 6 H 3 R 3 ER 1 HR 3 BB 2 K
Not a bad debut and he would continue to operate out of the bullpen the rest of the season. Had a 2.25 ERA in eight innings in the month of July, before being sent back down. He was called back up in August that season but had an 11.88 ERA in 8.1 innings.
Walter would then battle injuries in 2024 and would get released by Boston on Aug 2, 2024, before the Astros picked him up 13 days later and assigned him to Triple-A Sugar Land. However, due to still battling injuries, he would not have made an appearance at all this past season.
Walter was given a non-roster invite by the Astros for 2025 Spring Training.
Former Blue Hen Looking For Another Chance
In Spring Training, Walter tossed seven innings to a tune of a 5.14 ERA and 1.71 WHIP. Opponents batted .321 against him. Also had eight strikeouts to three walks.
He was then set to start in Sugar Land in 2025 and has had quite the season in the Pacific Coast League, a league that has grown notorious for its highly offensive environments.
The average ERA as of May 20 is 5.05 in the PCL. For WHIP, it is 1.51, and the opponent batting average is .261.
In 35.2 innings, Walter has dominated with an ERA of 2.27. This goes along with a 0.70 WHIP and an opponent batting average of .150.
He has also struck out 34 batters and walked seven.
He was named PCL Pitcher of the Week in April.
Walter will feature a sinker-cutter combo while also using his low release point to be deceptive and throw off hitters. May not throw hard, averaging in the low 90s, but you don’t need to throw hard if you know how to do all the other things right, especially as a lefty.
He will also feature a sweeper every now and then.
What to Expect
Walter is making his first appearance in a big league game since 2023 and has been pitching fantastically in Triple-A.
There could be some jitters, and it might just be a matter of him getting past that first inning to settle down. Astros are in line to win the 3-game series today against the Tampa Bay Rays after winning 4-3 last night.
Especially against such a heavy left-handed hitting offense in the Rays, Walter is in a good spot. Might give up a few runs, but you just need him to eat innings. The goal is to have him go at least four or maybe five.
But if there is something to say about Walter, he has been able to handle adversity quite well.
From not pitching in 2024, to now making his first career MLB start.
- Collin Neillhttps://houstonsports.live/author/collin-neill/
