Hayden Wesneski Answered Prayer to Struggling Astros Rotation Amidst Playoff Race

It was a puzzling time around the trade deadline for the Houston Astros, who seemingly appeared to be buyers as the frontrunners for the easiest division in baseball, the front office left a major issue unaddressed- the starting rotation.

The Astros had a big need in the outfield, which is why they went after Gold Glove Daulton Varsho, but gave up another piece of the rotation as Spencer Arrighetti went to the Toronto Blue Jays, further enhancing that hole with the pitching staff.

When the office decided not to add an arm to the roster, they sent a clear message that guys needed to step up, and luckily Hayden Wesneski has done incredibly since coming back from Tommy John surgery, which

Wesneski Since Rejoining the Astros

A major problem the starting rotation has faced this year is getting depth into ballgames. The bullpen has really shaped up, but has been totally overworked most of the year, as exemplified by Tatsuya Ima, who was demoted to the bullpen since getting out of the first inning was somewhat of an anomaly.

Now that Wesneski has returned fully healthy, that issue has been dimmed a little bit, highlighted by 18 innings over his last three starts in which he only gave up four combined runs to complement 14 strikeouts.

Wesneski has made eight starts since returning from the dreaded injured list, in which he is posting a 3.35 ERA paired with a 1.05 WHIP, and he is trending in an even better direction as his command has been spot on, which is why he has a sub-1.00 WHIP in his last seven, logging four wins.

The 28-year-old has had short years, including this one, but statistically still the best of his short career since stepping into a starter’s role, which is something this team was in desperate need of. They might boast one of the best offenses in the game, but pitching has been an entirely different story.

Hunter Brown and Peter Lambert have taken on the lion’s share of starts this year, even with a lengthy stint on the IL for Brown. But neither is posting an ERA or WHIP lower than Wesneski, nor have they been able to go seven innings over the last six weeks. Wesneski has done it twice.

Luckily, when the playoffs come around, the Astros won’t need a five-man rotation, but there is very little room for error moving forward, and they need Wesneski to be lights out if Houston wants to win the division and not miss the postseason for back-to-back years.

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