Brian McTaggart: Astros Are Counting On 'Unproven Guys' To Cover Innings

Brian McTaggart, Astros beat reporter for MLB.com, joins The Matt Thomas Show following the Astros losing 4-3 to the Kansas City Royals in extra innings. The Astros cycled through five relievers in the loss, increasing concerns over the heavy load for the bullpen who is already working through injuries to starting pitching. Framber Valdez was placed on the 15-day injured list Tuesday with elbow soreness. "It does look like he'll be out for a while," McTaggart said. The Astros have called up their top pitching prospect in Spencer Arrighetti to make his major league debut Wednesday. The Astros "knew [Arrighetti] would be in the rotation sometime this year," but they are "at the end of their starting pitching depth" and are "counting on a lot of unproven guys to cover those innings." McTaggart also addresses the concerns over José Abreu's slow start to the season, saying "he's not as worried about the offense" as he his about the current state of starting pitching.