Astros: Five key takeaways from eventful Dodgers series

Cristian Javier Has a Bright Future

The franchise’s minor league pitcher of the year in 2019 had a scoreless debut, tossing an inning of relief on Saturday. He got his first start on Wednesday in place of the injured Justin Verlander, and he did not disappoint.

Javier went 5.2 innings, allowing one run on two hits and a walk while striking out eight. He struck out the side in the first inning, setting the tone for the rest of his outing. It was an amazingly impressive first start for the 23-year-old, meaning he’ll probably remain in the rotation. He’s certainly earned it, and here’s hoping he stays there for a long time.

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Blake Taylor Is Luhnow’s Parting Gift

Not long before he was fired, former GM Jeff Luhnow traded popular outfielder Jake Marisnick to the Mets for a minor league pitcher named Blake Taylor. Not much was expected of him for this season, but Taylor has already made a huge impact.

As the only left-handed reliever for a team that’s barely had one in a couple years, Taylor has shined. He’s thrown 4.2 innings so far, allowing just one hit and striking out five. He gave the team 2.1 excellent innings in relief of Javier on Wednesday. It’s early and it’s a small sample, of course, but he looks like he’ll be a key cog in this bullpen.

Springer, Altuve, Bregman Really Struggling

The core of the Astros offense is having a really difficult time to start this season, which is a big reason why they struggled to score against the Dodgers. Jose Altuve is hitting .174 while looking particularly bad on Wednesday, and Alex Bregman is also hitting .174. George Springer is hitting a microscopic .048, which prompted Baker to give Myles Straw the start on Wednesday.

It’s only six games, so it’s certainly too soon to be panicking. Hopefully the day off on Thursday will help these guys out. They’re simply too talented to not break out of this funk, but it’s tough that they all happen to be in a slump at the same time.