With Josh Hader's injury a long-term one, the Houston Astros need to evaluate their options for a replacement. Whether it's a short-term one or an addition for the rest of the season, the Astros need to weigh their options.
Zachary Howell of ClutchPoints.com is urging the Astros to add top pitching prospect Miguel Ullola to the MLB roster to take Hader's spot in the bullpen.
"Ullola is the Astros' top pitching prospect." Howell writes. "There were already conversations about him joining Houston's roster in a bullpen role. Given the current situation Espada's bullpen finds itself in, it might be time to pull that trigger."
While adding the top pitching prospect, a 23-year-old right-hander, to the MLB roster is appealing, he hasn't been a bullpen arm in Triple-A this season. Of his 21 games, he's been a starter for 18 of them.
He has a 4.10 ERA in 83.1 innings pitched so far this season. He has a 5-4 record, 104 strikeouts, 67 walks, and a .197 batting average against. Even though his walks are high, and his ERA is a little higher than one would like, his strikeout ability is appealing.
Adding such a strikeout artist to the Majors is a solid option for the Astros amid their efforts to reconstruct the bullpen in the wake of Hader's injury.
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Even with Brayn Abreu taking over as the top Astros reliever, the depth on the team is now more challenged than before. A solid role for Ullola in the bullpen could be a good way to alleviate some of the pressure on the rest of the bullpen.
As a starter in Triple-A, he could also pitch for multiple innings if needed. Also, if he's extremely impressive, he could take a starting rotation spot, pushing another starter to the bullpen.
Such a strategy wouldn't be the worst, especially since the AStros are seeing a lot of pitchers return from injuries. Instead of putting those pitchers into starting roles, they could be long relievers coming out of the bullpen.
Regardless of how Espada and Dana Brown manage things down the stretch, Howell is urging the Astros to call up Ullola to the MLB roster to help replace Hader in the bullpen.
Based on his play and the fact that his rookie status would remain eligible for 2026 at this point, calling Ullola up isn't the worst idea, especially if Hader's injury is season-ending.
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