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Astros just called up a prospect that (hopefully) will address season-long Achilles’ heel

Definitely worth a shot, but don't expect a miracle.
ByEric Cole|
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May 16, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros pitcher Bryan Abreu (52) and catcher Christian Vasquez (2) congratulate each other after the final out against the Texas Rangers during the ninth inning at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images
May 16, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros pitcher Bryan Abreu (52) and catcher Christian Vasquez (2) congratulate each other after the final out against the Texas Rangers during the ninth inning at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images | Erik Williams-Imagn Images

The Houston Astros' bullpen was supposed to be a strength in 2026. Houston had one of the best closers in baseball in Josh Hader and an elite setup man in Bryan Abreu. Even if some of the middle relievers left something to be desired, that is a weakness that can be addressed relatively easily, and the duo of Hader/Abreu covers for a lot of relief sins. Unfortunately, it did not take long for those plans to go sideways, but it does sound like some intriguing help is on the way.

The Astros' troubles started when Hader went down with an arm injury that has kept him out to this day, although it does sound like he could return relatively soon. For those hoping that Abreu would be able to slot right in and hold down Hader's closing spot, that very much was not the case until he got to the month of May.

Thankfully, the Astros may have a solution on the way after they reportedly promoted Alimber Santa to the majors.

Alimber Santa may not save the Astros, but he could be a big help, and he certainly can't make things any worse

Santa should be a familiar name to those who follow the Astros' farm system. Houston's No. 16 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline, features a mid-90's fastball, a pair of decent breaking balls, and a history of command issues so bad that the Astros left him unprotected in the Rule 5 draft.

So far this season, Santa has been pretty much as advertised. Through 18 appearances this season, Santa has 24 strikeouts in 19 innings of work, but the 23-year-old righty has also walked seven over that same span in addition to hitting three batters. The Astros' opponents may want to make sure they are wearing some armor before coming to the plate against Santa.

Houston doesn't need Santa to be a high-leverage arm necessarily, although that would be great. Hader is returning relatively soon, and Abreu seems to have turned a corner after his dreadful April showing. If Santa can come up and just give the Astros quality middle relief innings, that would go a long way. If not, Houston will run out of internal solutions in a hurry.

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