Houston Astros 25-man roster prediction for August 31st

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Starting Staff

Aug 1, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Astros starting pitcher Dallas Keuchel (60) pitches against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports

Even though there are six pitchers currently in the rotation, don’t expect a traditional six-man rotation.

Even though there are six pitchers currently in the rotation, don’t expect a traditional six-man rotation. Keuchel and Kazmir will be pitching on regular rest as much as possible, as they are the number one and two pitchers in the Astros rotation. They need the routine to be effective, so the Astros will pitch these two on regular rest. McCullers is probably the #3 pitcher in the rotation but is coming off a brief shutdown at Corpus Christi to save innings for September and October.

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McCullers would be the beneficiary of extra rest or being skipped in the rotation for one turn. It appears that Hinch will set the rotation based on who matches up better against the competition. McHugh appears to be the fourth pitcher right now, and he has pitched better recently. The Astros could choose to option Fiers to Triple-A Fresno, and keep Feldman in the rotation for now while allowing Vincent Velasquez to stay in the bullpen. However, barring injury, this would remove Fiers from being playoff eligible. Luhnow might have a hard time justifying the trade if Fiers is not playoff eligible.

Next: The Bullpen