4 Astros players who've already proven they don't belong on roster after May 1

The Houston Astros pitching staff has performed surprisingly well, but still face some long-term questions, especially with Spencer Arrighetti out of action. Meanwhile, the Astros lineup is off to a slow start, but there have been promising signs of late.

However, there are some players on the active roster who were never an ideal fit or have under-performed to this point. The Astros may need to begin entertaining making a few changes sooner rather than later. Let's look at three players the Astros should consider moving off the 26-man roster by May 1st.

4 Astros players who've already proven they don't belong on roster after May 1

Zach Dezenzo, Astros infielder

Based on his minor-league performance, Zach Dezenzo has all the ingredients to be a useful contributor in the big leagues. After a strong spring, Dezenzo deserved a chance to see if he could carve out a role with the Astros. Unfortunately, Dezenzo's is a case of needing increased playing time in order to develop, but those opportunities have not been there.

The Astros are doing Dezenzo a disservice right now. Christian Walker's oblique injury was spooky enough that Houston probably wanted to have a backup plan, but it just makes more sense to have Mauricio Dubón (or whichever catcher that isn't in the starting lineup) hold things down in a pinch.

Bennett Sousa, Astros pitcher

Bennett Sousa wasn't good enough during spring training to win a spot on the Astros Opening Day roster. The left-hander has made just a handful of appearances in the majors since the end of 2022, and his presence on the active roster is only due ot the fact that Houston needed an extra arm after trading Rafael Montero to the Atlanta Braves.

Sousa's first outing back against the Mariners on Wednesday left a lot to be desired, and the Astros need to entertain some different options for their bullpen. There are a few internal candidates who could be deemed short-term solutions. Perhaps some new blood would offer hope than assuming Sousa becomes a quality major league reliever.

Luis Contreras, Astros pitcher

Carrying Luis Contreras on the Opening Day roster was defensible at the time. The right-hander not only had minor-league options remaining, but he pitched well enough during spring training to warrant inclusion. Unfortunately, the regular season has been unkind, and Contreras was already sent to the minors once this year.

Contreras' ERA entereing play on Friday was an unsightly 12.00, and he has little to hang his hat on beyond a decent strikeout rate. Spencer Arrighetti's absence is the only reason Contreras is on the 26-man roster, and it's likely that his luck will run out before the calendar flips to May.

Tayler Scott, Astros pitcher

Tayler Scott has some arm talent, and his lack of minor-league options means moving on would require exposing him to waivers. And it doesn't help that Houston isn't exactly brimming with bullpen options right now.

Unfortunately, Scott's issues with walks are becoming too big of a problem to ignore. There are probably other relief arms that will get the axe before Scott, but the arguments to keep him around at all are getting more and more dubious.

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