Astros Send Colton Gordon Back to Triple-A, in Favor of Veteran Relief Arm

The Houston Astros have made many roster moves over the last few weeks, with one more on the way as they swap out pitching arms mid-season.

Aug 2, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Houston Astros starting pitcher Colton Gordon (61) pitches against the Boston Red Sox during the first inning at Fenway Park. | Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

The Houston Astros have put together an exceptional 2025 season considering the sheer number of injuries and setbacks they have endured over the last few months. These injuries have been to both key starters and role players, with the team having 13 or more players on the injured list at various points throughout the year.

The pitching staff has been one of the more brutalized groups by these issues, and it has put the Astros on the back foot when it comes to roster building. Considering how much of the team is comprised of backups or minor league depth options, they haven't had a chance to see many of these players for a bit until now.

With that in mind, one of the options they brought up to fulfill some of the pitching needs is Colton Gordon, who has struggled at the MLB level but has shown exceptional stuff in Triple-A previously. This has made it hard for the team to truly assess what he can bring to the table, as it is clear he could work at this level eventually, but he is just not putting it together as of yet.

So as he continues to struggle, the team has decided to send him back to Triple-A for more work and has selected a veteran arm instead.

Who Did Houston Bring Up to Replace Colton Gordon in the Pitching Staff?

The move to send Gordon back down was not exactly a direct replacement, as he had been starting for the majority of his time at the MLB level, and the player selected to replace his roster spot is a reliever. With the Astros' pitching core of Hunter Brown, Framber Valdez, Jason Alexander, Cristian Javier, and Spencer Arrighetti being back healthy, the team has room to add to the bullpen instead.

So, with Gordon heading back to Triple-A, Houston selected the contract of reliever Jordan Weems, as was reported by Brian McTaggart of MLB.com.

Weems has only seen a small sample size of appearances this year, two at the MLB level, posting a 6.00 ERA in three innings, with no strikeouts or walks to his name as of yet. Last year with the Washington Nationals was certainly not his best either, with a 6.70 ERA, 1.752 WHIP and seven home runs allowed in only 41.2 innings.

However, 2023 was an exceptional season for the veteran, accruing a 5-1 record, 3.62 ERA, 1.207 WHIP, 60 strikeouts and 28 walks. While he may not immediately be at that level of production, having some quality appearances would certainly help the team out.