3:00pm: Per Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle, right-hander Cody Bolton has been placed on the 15-day IL due to right mid-back inflammation. That’s the corresponding move for Arrighetti.
7:58am: Astros right-hander Spencer Arrighetti is expected to get the ball for an upcoming matchup against the Rockies, reports Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. It’ll come either today or tomorrow, adds McTaggart. The 26-year-old didn’t break camp with the team, but he’s been dominant across three Triple-A starts. He’ll get a shot to fill the rotation void left by Tatsuya Imai, who hit the IL on Monday with arm fatigue.
Arrighetti is already on the 40-man roster, so his recall won’t require a move there. It’s unclear who will be sent down from the big-league club to make room for him. J.P. France and Colton Gordon were recalled on Monday to add length to a battered pitching staff. France tossed two scoreless innings in relief against the Mariners on Monday. Gordon drew the start on Tuesday. Colorado knocked him around for four earned runs over 3 2/3 innings. One of France or Gordon seems like a logical candidate to head back to Triple-A as Houston adds a fresh arm.
A freak thumb injury cost Arrighetti most of the 2025 campaign. He was hit by a ball on his right hand during batting practice and missed nearly four months of action. Arrighetti returned for five starts in August. He was largely ineffective across 25 innings, posting a 5.26 ERA with a 23:15 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Elbow inflammation ended Arrighetti’s season in early September.
Arrighetti’s recent results would suggest he’s fully recovered from the elbow issue. He was a bit wild in MLB Spring Training, but racked up 12 strikeouts across eight frames. He’s continued to miss bats at a considerable clip with Sugar Land. Arrighetti has a 36.4% strikeout rate through 14 minor-league innings this year. He’s allowed just two earned runs in three appearances. The righty is coming off a quality start against Tacoma, striking out seven over six innings. He got up to 82 pitches in that outing.
A former consensus top 10 prospect, Arrighetti seemed like a mainstay in the rotation when he debuted in 2024. The righty tossed a career-high 145 innings in 29 appearances with the big-league club. Arrighetti’s 4.53 ERA was unimpressive, but it came with a 4.01 xFIP and a sub-4.00 SIERA. He struck out MLB hitters at a strong 27.1% clip in his first taste of the majors.
Houston could desperately use a healthy and effective Arrighetti to boost a rotation missing Hunter Brown, Cristian Javier, and Imai. The Astros have allowed five more runs than the next-closest team (the Nationals). The club’s starters have combined for a 6.60 ERA, nearly a run higher than the 29th-place squad (again, Washington).
Photo courtesy of Troy Taormina, Imagn Images
We knew this was coming. The Astros are in desperate need of somebody that can miss some bats and get outs.
Let’s see if this guy can deliver on that promise from a couple of years back. Big fan of spaghetti after all.
Throw him against the wall. See if he sticks this time
Kind of a shame they had forgotten about him so collectively.
All of us. All 700 million of us or so in the Northern Western hemisphere. Bow our heads in collective shame for forgetfulness. Before selecting a sliver of pita bread and a sup of mull wine in penance.
not much, sup with you?
Points!
It’s the right move.
Only if it’s the right groove
And it’s also the right grove!
Top 10 prospect in the Astros system or MLB?
I don’t recall him being that well thought of compared to the rest of MiLB
Definitely in the Astros top 10, not MLB.
We haven’t had a top 10 prospect since Forrest Whitley way back. He was 9.
That must have been before Platoon. Because after that everyone knew him in Good morning, Vietnam.
First thought seen P and oon was Plo Koon.
I recall Central Park in fall
I recall Spencer for hire
I remember Mama. And Wilson Phillips delinquent daddy.
Cody Bolton could go to the IL as well, that’s another option for the corresponding roster move.
What is Houston’s spaghetti policy?
“The club’s starters have combined for a 6.60 ERA, nearly a run higher than the 29th-place squad (again, Washington).”
Pitchers don’t allow runs. Teams allow runs
Houston’s starters have a 5.57 FIP and 4.74 xFIP
They haven’t pitched as bad as that ERA
oops
That’s not correct
They actually have a 4.80 FIP and 4.54 xFIP.
fangraphs.com/leaders/major-league?pos=all&lg…
A bit better than the numbers I posted above
Still works out to 7-11.
/s
If MLB was fun again they’d let players have nicknames on their jerseys for players. Spencer Arrighetti could have a plate of spaghetti emoji on his jersey. It doesn’t exactly match but it’s close enough
I’ll never forget “Corey’s brother”
Classic
Arrighetti is Penne Arrabbiata made with spaghetti.
Domo Arrighetti
Mister Spaghetti
Could you imagine a team that had both Arrighetti and Piscotty on it?
Have to add Johnny Lasagna to that equation.
The stros are gonna drop Bolton, keep Colton , and spin some Arrighetti on the wall.