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!
You’re just a few clicks away from accessing this feature and hundreds more throughout the year that have a singular goal in mind: Winning your league. Subscribe to BaseballHQ.com here!
Already a subscriber? Sign in here
More From PT Tomorrow
This week's NL West column answers the lineup questions we posed at the beginning of spring training.
Mar 28 2026 3:05am
Mar 28 2026 3:05am
Opportunities abound for young interesting players in the National League Central.
Mar 27 2026 3:05am
Mar 27 2026 3:05am
Following up on our spring training questions, including what happens to the rest of the lineup if Kevin McGonigle makes it onto the Tigers' roster?
Mar 26 2026 3:08am
Mar 26 2026 3:08am
Before spring training began, we asked about each team's playing time. Here are the answers for the AL West as spring training comes to an end.
Mar 25 2026 3:05am
Mar 25 2026 3:05am
Coby Mayo's spring surge has him well-positioned to be the beneficiary of Baltimore's infield injuries. Plus, more spring training topics revisited as Opening Day nears.
Mar 24 2026 3:06am
Mar 24 2026 3:06am
