Astros Insider Raises Multiple Questions About Team as Battle with Mariners Tightens
![Houston Astros starting pitcher Ronel Blanco (56) works out prior to the game against the Texas Rangers at Minute Maid Park on July 13. Houston Astros starting pitcher Ronel Blanco (56) works out prior to the game against the Texas Rangers at Minute Maid Park on July 13.](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_3385,h_1904,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/inside_the_mariners/01j339trbenc32tt88t9.jpg)
The Seattle Mariners enter the second half of the season at 1.0 game up in the American League West on the Houston Astros. While there's plenty of reasons to be concerned about where the Mariners are at right now, there are also reasons to be concerned about the Astros.
The Astros have lost starting pitchers Jose Urquidy, JP France and Cristian Javier for the season. They haven't gotten great recoveries from Lance McCullers or Luis Garcia, either, and Justin Verlander is still on the injured list with a neck issue.
Furthermore, the Astros have dealt with an injury to Kyle Tucker which will keep him out at least through this weekend's series with the Mariners - if not weeks longer.
Chandler Rome of 'The Athletic' painted the picture for the Astros, which should make Mariners fans feel better about things.
For the Astros to even make the playoffs, they must find ways to lessen Blanco’s workload and protect their other available arms. Bear in mind that both Jake Bloss and Framber Valdez have already required stints on the injured list this season with arm-related injuries.
Expanding to a six-man rotation is the easiest fix, but the club doesn’t even have the available bodies to accomplish it. Demand may exceed supply and it’s doubtful the Astros possess enough prospect capital to compete with other contenders at the top of the starting pitching market.
Now, the M's have had a lot of advantages in this season already and haven't been able to fully capitalize, but given the Astros woes and health problems, there are still chances to do so.
Winning the opener of the series on Friday night would go a long way. First pitch from T-Mobile Park is set for 7:10 p.m. PT. Neither the M's or the Astros have named their starting pitchers yet.
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