2 Astros who deserve promotion to MLB roster, 2 who should be sent to Triple-A

This is the time of year where teams across the league remake their rosters for the stretch run. While some teams need a lot of work, the Houston Astros have some narrow needs along with a few luxuries that would be nice to have. However, there are areas of the roster that need improvement, and beyond the trade market, the Astros could opt to leverage their minor league system in order to help the cause.

The Astros already used their biggest prospect bullet when they called up Brice Matthews earlier this month, but Houston does have some other players who are making their case for a promotion. Unfortunately, the Astros also have a couple of big leaguers who could probably use some more time in the minor leagues.

2 Astros who deserve promotion to MLB roster, 2 who should be sent to Triple-A

The Astros should give Miguel Ullola a shot in the major leagues

Miguel Ullola is a fascinating pitching prospect. On the one hand, Ullola racks up strikeouts regardless of the level of competition. His command, however, leaves a lot to be desired. Ullola has looked awfully good in the minors of late, and if Houston isn't sold on him as a starter, they should give his a chance in the bullpen. Regardless of where Houston plans to deploy Ullola, his stuff is probably good enough to get MLB hitters out in short stints right now.

Shay Whitcomb isn't quite ready to face big league pitchers yet

Shay Whitcomb is in a tough spot at the moment. He's performed exceedingly well in the minor leagues, but during two stints in the majors, including a call-up when Jeremy Peña was injured, he's failed to produce little in the way of results. Whitcomb looks overmatched at the dish, and once Houston begins to get healthy, he needs to head back to the minors or be packaged in a trade.

The Astros need to give Nick Hernandez a chance to stick in the bullpen

The Astros initially made the smart move of calling up Nick Hernandez from Triple-A after Lance McCullers Jr. was put on the injured list. Unfortunately, it was short-lived and Hernandez was sent back down almost immediately to create space for Jason Alexander. Hernandez has performed well in the minors this season and has legitimate swing-and-miss stuff. He deserves a real shot at a roster spot.

Zach Short's time with the Astros probably needs to wind down

Zach Short was pressed into service after multiple injuries affected the Astros roster. However, Matthews' recent promotion changes the decision calculus a bit given the Astros' aspirations. Matthews also has tremendous upside. Once Peña returns from the IL, keeping Matthews on the roster makes more sense than allowing Short to stick around. The Astros could decide to part ways with Mauricio Dubon, but that's unlikely to happen until at least this coming offseason.

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