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A.J. Blubaugh

Astros Promote John Rooney

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The Astros optioned right-hander AJ Blubaugh to Triple-A prior to today’s game against the Orioles, and called up left-hander John Rooney to provide the bullpen with a fresh arm.  Rooney was already on Houston’s 40-man roster, so the Blubaugh demotion was the only corresponding move necessary.

Rooney is on the mound at the time of this post, and thus the 28-year-old is now officially a Major League player.  A third-round pick for the Dodgers back in the 2018 draft, Rooney spent his whole pro career in the Los Angeles farm system until 2025, when he joined the Marlins as a minor league free agent.

Miami then dealt Rooney to Houston earlier this month, and he has a 2.56 ERA and a 34.2% strikeout rate over 38 2/3 combined innings with the Marlins’ and Astros’ Triple-A affiliates.  Those impressive numbers came with the downside of a 14.9% walk rate.  Rooney has been prone to issuing free passes for most of his career, and a move to full-time bullpen work in 2023 only briefly solved his control issues.

It remains to be seen if Rooney will get anything more than a cup of coffee in the Show, as the Astros have Steven Okert and Bryan King as the primary left-handers in their bullpen.  However, the relief corps lost a pair of very prominent southpaws (Josh Hader and Bennett Sousa) to the injured list, and starter Colton Gordon is the only other Triple-A lefty on the 40-man roster.  This could open the door for Rooney to get more of an extended look on the active roster if he can produce against MLB hitters.

Astros Designate Shawn Dubin For Assignment

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The Astros have designated right-hander Shawn Dubin for assignment, according to Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle.  Righty AJ Blubaugh has been called up from Triple-A in the corresponding move (KPRC 2’s Ari Alexander reported earlier today that Blubaugh was on his way to the Astros’ active roster).

Dubin is out of minor league options, so Houston had to go the DFA route in order to remove him from its active roster.  Dubin doesn’t have the service time or the past outright necessary to reject an outright assignment to Triple-A, so chances are he’ll just remain in the Astros’ farm system if he clears waivers.  A pitching-needy team might consider claiming Dubin off the waiver wire, though is out-of-options status will probably scare off a few clubs, plus his case for sticking on a big league roster isn’t helped by his brutal month of August.

Dubin had a 1.33 ERA over his first 20 1/3 innings of 2025, even if that standout ERA wasn’t quite supported by his secondary metrics.  A forearm strain sent him to the 15-day injured list near the end of June, however, and since returning on August 12, Dubin simply hasn’t looked the same.  He has been torched for 13 earned runs over five appearances and 5 1/3 innings since being activated from the IL, inflating his ERA up to 5.61 over 25 2/3 total frames.

A bout of shoulder inflammation during Spring Training already put Dubin on the IL to begin the season, and he then didn’t make his 2025 debut until May 11 since an ankle injury set back his recovery.  Things seemed fine once he finally got onto the Astros’ mound, yet whether Dubin is just rusty or is still feeling some after-effects from his forearm issue, his recent performance has been too rough for Houston to ignore.

Selected in the 13th round of the 2018 draft, Dubin has spent his entire career in Houston’s organization, debuting in the Show with seven innings during the 2023 season.  He then had a 4.17 ERA over 45 1/3 innings in 2024, getting a couple of spot starts but primarily working out of the bullpen.  Dubin battled control problems last year but while his walk rate is vastly improved in 2025, his strikeout rate has dropped (from 23.7% to 18.9%).

The Astros’ bullpen has been strong for most of 2025, but the relief corps has hit some major roadblocks beyond just Dubin’s struggles.  Star closer Josh Hader will miss at least the rest of the regular season due to a capsule sprain, and southpaw Bennett Sousa (already on the 15-day IL) is now also a question mark, as he’ll be shut down for the next two weeks while dealing with a flexor/pronator strain.  Blubaugh is a rookie who has only nine MLB innings on his resume, but he’ll at least be a short-term fresh arm to act as a long man in the pen.

Astros Reinstate Spencer Arrighetti, Transfer Isaac Paredes To 60-Day IL

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The Astros announced today that right-hander Spencer Arrighetti has been reinstated from the 60-day injured list. Righty AJ Blubaugh has been optioned to Triple-A Sugar Land as the corresponding active roster move. To open a 40-man spot, infielder Isaac Paredes has been transferred to the 60-day IL.

Arrighetti had a decent debut with the Astros last year, tossing 145 innings with a 4.53 earned run average. His 10.3% walk rate was a bit high but he punched out 27.1% of batters faced. Ideally, he would have built on that foundation in 2025 but a freak injury got in the way. He was throwing on the field during pregame batting practice when an errant ball struck him and broke his thumb. He had made just two starts before landing on the IL and has been out of action until today.

That was one of many rotation injuries suffered by the Astros this year. Ronel Blanco and Hayden Wesneski required Tommy John surgery. Luis Garcia, Cristian Javier and J.P. France are still trying to get healthy after surgeries in previous years. Brandon Walter is on the IL due to elbow inflammation while Lance McCullers Jr. is sidelined by a blister.

Despite all that, the Astros are having a great year, currently atop the American League West. That’s thanks in large part to huge contributions from Hunter Brown and Framber Valdez. Arrighetti can now join those two in the rotation, alongside Colton Gordon and Jason Alexander. Each of Javier, Garcia and France have begun rehab assignments, so they could be factors in the coming weeks.

As for Paredes, he landed on the 10-day IL on July 20th due to a right hamstring strain. All the reporting out of Houston has indicated the strain is significant and could perhaps end his season. Per Brian McTaggart of MLB.com, surgery was a possibility, though that would have come with a six-month recovery period. Paredes is instead trying the rest-and-rehab approach, which gives him a chance to return late in the season.

Though it’s possible Paredes could be back, the Astros aren’t relying on it. They acquired old friend Carlos Correa from the Twins ahead of the trade deadline to take over for Paredes at third base. Today’s transfer indicates they don’t expect Paredes to be back before the middle of September, as the 60-day count is retroactive to his initial IL placement. If he is able to come back, it’s unclear where he will play, but the club’s designated hitter spot is open for now with Yordan Alvarez also on the IL. Paredes could also perhaps slide over to second or first base, though it’s also possible future injuries will open playing time between now and the end of the season.

“We’ll cross that bridge when we get there,” general manager Dana Brown said, per McTaggart. “We have multiple infielders who can play multiple positions, and that’s very helpful. That would be a good decision to have to make.”

Photo courtesy of Jordan Johnson, Imagn Images

Astros Select AJ Blubaugh

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April 30: The Astros have made Blubaugh’s promotion official. His contract has been selected to the 40-man roster, which is now at capacity. Righty Bryan Abreu has been placed on the paternity list to clear a spot on the active roster.

April 29: The Astros are tabbing AJ Blubaugh to start tomorrow against the Tigers, the team announced to reporters (including Chandler Rome of The Athletic). The righty will go opposite another rookie, Jackson Jobe, in his major league debut. Houston already has an opening on the 40-man roster; they’ll only need to make an active roster move involving a pitcher.

Blubaugh, 24, is one of the top pitching prospects in a Houston system that is light on arms. A seventh-round pick from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in the 2022 draft, he has turned in a 4.02 ERA over 268 1/3 minor league innings. Drafted as a reliever, Blubaugh began a rotation move in 2023. He worked as a full-time starter a year ago, pitching to a 3.71 ERA in 28 appearances between the top two minor league levels. Blubaugh recorded a solid 24.5% strikeout percentage against a 9.4% walk rate.

The 6’2″ righty pitched in the Futures Game a season ago. He ranked among the top 10 prospects in the Houston system at both Baseball America and The Athletic (via Keith Law) over the offseason. He’s generally viewed as a likely back-end starter who has decent command of a fringe-average pitch mix. Blubaugh’s fastball velocity has ticked up early this year. He’s averaging 93.8 MPH on the pitch after sitting at 92.5 during his Triple-A work last season. He’s mixing five pitches (four-seam, cutter, slider, curveball and changeup) with regularity.

Blubaugh has found early success in a tough pitching environment in the Pacific Coast League. He carries a 3.86 ERA over 21 innings spanning five appearances. He has punched out 30% of opponents while walking batters at an elevated 10.8% rate. Blubaugh joins Colton Gordon as rotation depth options who occupy a 40-man roster spot.

It’s unclear if his first appearance will simply be a spot start. Hayden Wesneski would have been lined up on Wednesday. Manager Joe Espada said on Tuesday afternoon that the righty’s start would be skipped after he was pitching with diminished velocity during his start last Friday (link via Matt Kawahara of The Houston Chronicle). Espada downplayed the notion that Wesneski was injured, though it’s worth nothing the Astros provide less in the way of health specifics than any other team. In any case, Blubaugh will get the ball at least once in his initial call to the big leagues.

J.P. France Facing Notable Absence Due To Shoulder Injury

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Astros right-hander J.P. France is dealing with a shoulder injury and is going to be out “a while,” per reporting from Chandler Rome of The Athletic. Rome adds in a post on X that manager Joe Espada told SportsTalk 790 that France has been shut down with “right shoulder soreness” and will be sent for more testing. The righty dealt with a shoulder issue during Spring Training but got over it in time to make the Opening Day roster, making five starts before being optioned to Triple-A at the end of April.

An injury to a starter on optional assignment wouldn’t always be a big deal, but there are a few reasons why it would be concerning for the Astros right now. The club is out to a rough 12-22 start, making it feel like their season is in peril. Houston has a very strong track record in the recent past and it’s still early here in 2024, but they will need a run of victories at some point to gain ground in the playoff race.

On top of that, the next part of their schedule is going to be tough. Today marks the start of a period where they play 29 games in 30 days, a challenging enough stretch that the club is likely to go with a six-man rotation.

The starting staff has been a juggling act all year. They knew coming into the season that Lance McCullers Jr. and Luis Garcia would be missing significant time as each underwent elbow surgery last year. On top of that, each of Justin Verlander, Framber Valdez, Cristian Javier and José Urquidy have spent time on the injured list.

Verlander and Valdez have since returned and are currently active. The other three rotation spots are currently held by Ronel Blanco, Hunter Brown and Spencer Arrighetti. Blanco has pitched very well, even throwing a no-hitter against the Blue Jays last month, but Brown and Arrighetti have faced significant struggles. Brown has an 8.89 earned run average through his seven starts while Arrighetti has a mark of 8.27 through his four outings.

Javier is expected to be activated from the IL at some point in the near future, perhaps as soon as this weekend, to give the club six starters. France could have perhaps been an option to replace Brown or Arrighetti but this injury could force the Astros to stick with those two.

Urquidy is nearing a rehab assignment but would likely need at least a few weeks to build up since he’s missed the entire season so far. Pitchers like Brandon Bielak and Shawn Dubin have some starting experience but are currently in the big league bullpen and not stretched out. Blair Henley is on the 40-man but his one major league start was disastrous, allowing five earned runs while recording just one out, while his Triple-A numbers aren’t great either.

One surprising name that could be entering the mix is A.J. Blubaugh, as Rome reports that the right-hander has “opened eyes” after his recent promotion to Triple-A. A seventh-round pick from the 2022 draft, Blubaugh has recently made five Triple-A starts with a 4.43 ERA, 24.2% strikeout rate and 10.1% walk rate. He’s not currently on the 40-man roster.

How the club decides to tackle their rotation challenges will be an interesting situation to monitor over the next month as they navigate this tricky patch of their schedule. For France personally, it would be quite unfortunate timing for him if the injury turns out to be significant, beyond the obvious frustrations. Since he was optioned to the minors a few weeks ago, he’s not currently accruing major league pay or service time.

France came into 2024 with 149 days of service time, just 23 shy of the 172 required for a full year. He spent 28 days on the active roster to start this season before getting optioned, meaning he barely eclipsed that one-year line. But if he were to languish in the minors while injured for a while, it would hurt his chances of reaching arbitration and free agency in the future. If he is set to miss significant time and the Astros want to use his 40-man roster spot, they could recall him and place him on the major league 60-day injured list, which would start his service clock running again.

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