Astros make bold roster cuts that suddenly brings Opening Day roster into focus

The Houston Astros cut two players from Major League camp on Thursday. Right-handed pitcher Miguel Ullola and left-hander Colton Gordon were both optioned to Minor League camp. While neither pitcher was expected to be part of the Astros Opening Day, this is certainly a vote of confidence for oft-injured starter Lance McCullers Jr.

Ullola and Gordon will provide plenty of depth for the Astros rotation during the upcoming season. Ullola is one of the Astros' top prospects and appeared in three Grapefruit League games this spring. Walks were a problem, however, as he issued six free passes in just 5⅓ innings pitched. Gordon owns a 1.69 ERA this spring, but he has more walks (3) than strikeouts (2) across his three outings.

McCullers has made just one appearance in the Grapefruit League so far and has logged just one inning of work. He was flawless, however, recording three straight outs against the trio of batters he faced. Whether or not he can hold up to the rigors of a regular season is another question entirely.

The Astros could be betting big on Lance McCullers Jr. this season

McCullers is entering the final season of the five-year, $85 million extension he signed with Houston back in 2021. Since that time, the right-hander has endured countless injuries and pitched in a grand total of just 24 games across four seasons. In 103 innings of work, McCullers has a meager 4.54 ERA during that span. But Houston seems dead-set on riding this out.

The Astros have plans to open the 2026 season with a six-man rotation, of which McCullers is assumed to be a part. Hunter Brown, Christian Javier, and Tatsuya Imai are expected to be in the mix, while Mike Burrows and Ryan Weiss are the most likely candidates at the moment to round out the rotation. Spencer Arrighetti could make a last-minute push as well.

With McCullers, however, there's always injury risk. He opened last season on the IL after recovering from surgery, and returned to the diamond on May 4. A foot sprain, however, saw McCullers return to the IL in mid-June, and a finger blister plagued him after the All-Star break. He found the IL once before the end of the season due to hand soreness.

The good news is, if for any reason McCullers or another member of the Astros rotation hits the IL, one of Ullola or Gordon is just a phone call away.