Astros Should Be Concerned About Slow Start in 2026 for Pair of Pitchers

The 2026 baseball season is well underway now, and the Houston Astros have started their redemption run after being completely shut out of the postseason in 2025. Their offense is off to an incredible start, while their pitching staff is barely limping along.

Right now, the Astros are tied at the top of the American League West with the Los Angeles Angels, but with one of the best pitchers in the AL (Hunter Brown) and the bats scoring the most runs in either league at this point, they should not have tallied up five losses already.

Brown's first start was wasted as the team took the L in their season opener and now he is on the 15-day injured list with a shoulder strain, so other arms will have to carry until he is back, which is appearing to be a big problem.

ATH - Brent Rooker 3-run HR (2)
🔥 2nd HR of the game

📏 364 ft | 💨 104.8 mph | 📐 25°
⚾️ 96.4 mph four-seam fastball (HOU - RHP Bryan Abreu)
🏟️ Out in 28/30 MLB parks

HOU (10) @ ATH (12)
🔻 10th#Athletics pic.twitter.com/vp6WHlOm0l
— MLB Home Runs (@MLBHRs_) April 6, 2026

Houston made it clear this offseason, when they were less than aggressive, that players inside the clubhouse would have to step up, including starting pitcher Cristian Javier and relief pitcher Bryan Abreu.

That has not been the case at this point.

Struggles on the Mound for Javier

Javier throws a baseball in a white Astros jerse — Houston Astros starting pitcher Cristian Javier (53) pitches against the Los Angeles Angels in the first inning at Daikin Park. | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

The first start of Javier's season went just as poorly as the second. The Astros might have won the game against the Angels but the offense carried them to an 11-9 victory over the Angels after Javier threw two home run balls, hit two batters, walked four, and allowed six runs to be scored in under five innings.

After his next start, he now has a near 13.00 ERA on the year which looks even uglier next to an opponent's batting average of .323 and WHIP of 2.28.

Javier will likely have his chance in his next start in the finale against the Colorado Rockies. This isn't an easy task by any means, as the Rockies' offense is firing on all cylinders. Colorado isn't a team to be overlooked at the plate, and the Astros have got to find a way to win games.

Inconsistencies With Abreu

Abreu was deemed the Astros closer, but that really can't be the case for them anymore. In their last series against the Athletics, he was put into the game in the 10th inning after a massive eighth inning by the bats tied the game to send it to extra.

Abreu throws a baseball in a white Astros unifor — Mar 29, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros pitcher Bryan Abreu (52) delivers a pitch during the ninth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Daikin Park. | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

But instead of Houston taking the W after scoring again in the top of the 10th, the Athletics were handed the game by Abreu after throwing a fastball right in the bottom of the quadrant to Brent Rooker.

Three-run homer. Game over.

It isn't just Abreu, as he went into that matchup in a bad spot already, but as their designated closer, they needed him to retire Rooker, and three pitchers later, it was an L.

Houston has lost three of their last four, andit needsd to get out of Denver with a series victory before heading up to Seattle to take on the Mariners, the team that stole the division in the final weeks of 2025.