The Astros announced Friday that right-hander Hayden Wesneski is being placed on the 15-day injured list due to discomfort in his right elbow. Right-hander Logan VanWey will be recalled from Triple-A Sugar Land to take Wesneski’s spot on the roster. An exact diagnosis or expected timetable for Wesneski’s return has not been provided. His IL placement is retroactive to May 7.
It’s ominous any time a pitcher hits the injured list due to a nebulous designation such as “elbow discomfort.” Teams will typically provide further details — specific symptoms, diagnoses, timetables, etc. — not long after making announcements such as this one. The Astros are notoriously tight-lipped with any and all medical updates, however, so time will tell when they opt to divulge more information.
Regardless, the loss of Wesneski stings. One of three players acquired from the Cubs in exchange for Kyle Tucker, he opened the season in Houston’s rotation and has played a key role. Hiss most recent start (four runs in four innings) bumped his ERA up to 4.50, but Wesneski had been sitting at a solid 3.86 mark prior. His most recent appearance was the first time in 2025 that he worked fewer than five innings and the first time he yielded more than three runs in a start.
Houston only just welcomed Lance McCullers Jr. back from an injury absence of more than two years. He joined Wesneski, Hunter Brown, Framber Valdez and Ronel Blanco in manager Joe Espada’s rotation, bumping rookie Ryan Gusto a long relief role. With Wesneski down for at least two weeks, it seems likely that Gusto will step back into the starting five, although Houston has righty AJ Blubaugh and lefty Colton Gordon both on the 40-man roster down in Triple-A.
Whoever steps into the rotation vacancy could be looking at an abbreviated stint on the starting staff. Certainly, the ’Stros will hope for a swift return for Wesneski. But even if he requires an absence of some note, other reinforcements could be on the way. Right-hander Spencer Arrighetti has been out since April 7 with a fractured thumb, but the Astros’ original hope was that he’d be able to return in about six weeks. That timetable might be hard to meet if he’s yet to resume throwing, but there’s yet to be any indication that he’s facing a substantially longer absence than originally hoped. Prospect Miguel Ullola has been dominant in his two most recent Triple-A appearances, tossing 10 scoreless innings and allowing only two hits and three walks while punching out 15. Looking further down the road, the club hopes to have righty Cristian Javier back later in the summer after he underwent Tommy John surgery last June.
Generally speaking, the Astros are reasonably well equipped to handle one loss of note in the rotation. A second injury, particularly one to Brown or Valdez, would prove a far greater test to the organization’s depth.
The eternal optimist that’s an Astros fan will say we won’t know the outcome of that trade for years, but those of us that are realists say the Cubs absolutely smoked Houston in that deal. It doesn’t even matter if Tucker only stays a year. He’ll be the major reason they win that division. And if Tucker garners MVP consideration, Chicago will have no choice but to throw $500+ at him. Maybe $550 minimum. Meanwhile, Wesnewski is hurt and Smith should be in AAA. But don’t mind me, I’m just a lowly Tigers fan watching my team spend almost $200 million less than LA and being just as good. LA will have a 1B coach making $20 million a year because of deferrals, lmao.
Wesnewski Is hurt too? The article only mentions Wesneski.
Ah whatever. The worker at Ellis Island probably left out the W when his people came over.
There is no Wesnewski
UncleMike’s gonna get ya for saying this lol
Instead of making that “1B coach LOL LA Deferrals lmao” joke, you could’ve at least noticed his last name was spelled Wesneski right away.
Cubs would have no choice but to throw money at Tucker? Don’t underestimate Ricketts—the luxury tax is a hard cap for him.
And Cam Smith has a decent shot at being far better than any comp pick Houston would have received.
@dsett: You are right except for the fact that the Cubs aren’t going to win their division, or even come close. There is a kind of mass delusion going on about that.
If Steele and Imanaga had not been injured, there was a small chance that in a compressed division, they might have won it with 85 or 86 wins. Now, they are probably going to fade to fourth, ahead of only the Pirates.
Remember me when that you see!
Tucker will be a Yankee, Brave, or Dodger next year so no the Astros totally won this trade!
Or maybe Red Sox….By the way, after a hot start, he hasn’t really hit for weeks. He is a good hitter overall, but the media have (not has) overrated him some.
The dreaded “elbow discomfort” strikes again…
He was a frequently listed on the DL in Chicago.
He was on the IL once while he was with the Cubs.
not pleased with this news, at all! Huge fan of the Tucker return, huge fan of high-quality starting pitching, huge fan of Astros brain trust.
Huge not-fan of pitching arm injury pandemic.
Cubs unloaded some filler pieces for Tucker that would have been traded or released anyway so whether Tucker stays or goes it was worth it.
City Connect Jerseys are so stupid.