Astros Need Spencer Arrighetti to Continue His Hot Start on Mound

In an extremely injured Astros rotation, can Arrighetti continue to pick up the slack?

Apr 15, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros starting pitcher Spencer Arrighetti reacts after getting a strikeout during the third inning against the Colorado Rockies at Daikin Park. | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The Houston Astros have had a rough go of it to begin the 2026 season. After Sunday's extra innings loss, it marks their 15th and fourth in a row. They sit at 8-15 and in last place in the American League West, with their 15 losses tied for the msot in baseball.

To make matters worse, the one trend that has continued from last season is the amount of injuries the team has suffered. Aside from everyday player Jeremy Peña and Jake Meyers, Houston currently has four starters on the injured list.

Ace Hunter Brown chief among them, their top three starters are all on the IL, including Tatsuya Imai and Cristian Javier. Over the last week, the Astros have had to cobble together their rotation on the fly and seeminly decide who will start the day before.

One pitcher in that mix is Spencer Arrighetti, who in his return to the majors in his last outing was spetacular. The question is whether or not Houston can rely on the right-hander moving forward and he will start again on Monday, according to The Athletic's Chandler Rome.

Arighetti is the Steady Arm the Astros Need

Houston Astros starting pitcher Spencer Arrighetti. | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Arrighetti's first outing of the season came during the tidal wave of injuries. At home against the Colorado Rockies, he went six strong innings, allowing one run on three hits while walking four and striking out 10.

In a perfect world, that would be exactly the kind of production the Astros need every fifth day from Arrighetti. In all likelihood, though, that won't be the case. That's not to say that he won't be valuable moving forward, though.

Throughout his big league career, Arrighetti has struggled with command, but he also misses bats. In 186.1 career innings, the right-hander has 212 strikeouts, a 10.2 K/9 mark. That is a trait he's had throughout his career, dating back to the minors.

In his rookie season in 2024, he had a 27.7 percent whiff rate, according to Baseball Savant. During tht season, he had three pitches with a whiff rate higher than 37 percent, including his curveball, which was at 42.4 percent.

The stuff and ability to miss bats has always been there. In 14.1 Triple-A innings before being called up this year, he had a 12.6 K/9. His struggles lie in the walks. For his career, he has had a 4.3 BB/9, which contributes to his career 1.401 WHIP.

Despite the walks, he has shown the ability to be a solid innings eater at the major league level. In 145 innings during 2024, his career high, he had a 4.53 ERA and 89 ERA+. His FIP, however, showed that he had gotten unlucky, as that mark was at 4.18.

All in all, Arrighetti might just be the pitcher that helps Houston get through this injury mess. He can give them six innings consistently, something he did 12 times his rookie year, and he can strikeout plenty of batters.

His ERA may not be flashy, but the Astros need innings and consistency more than anything right now.