Entering the final month of the regular season, the Houston Astros sit five games ahead of the Seattle Mariners and are well on their way to another AL West Division title.
With the Astros contending for the playoffs and a roster ready for another long run, their September reshuffles don't mean as much to the franchise's long-term viability as others around the league who want to see what their young players can do.
Instead, Houston will look to strengthen this group by taking advantage of the expanded roster.
When September 1st finally arrived, decisions were made as to who would get a promotion in the last month of the year.
ASTROS ROSTER MOVES:
With the roster expanding to 28 today, the Astros have recalled C César Salazar and RHP Forrest Whitley from Triple A Sugar Land. Additionally, the Astros announced before yesterday's game that RHP Janson Junk was claimed off waivers from Oakland.
— Houston Astros (@astros) 1 September 2024
As their social media posts indicate, they are giving longtime prospect Forrest Whitley another chance in the major leagues after he was named a thrower for one game on April 16.
Astros fans knew what a talent he was, as he was the No. 1 prospect in that farm system from 2018 to 2021. But after his career-changing Tommy John surgery in 2021, he was never able to prove to the organization that he should be part of that MLB roster.
In the two years since that surgery, Whitley has posted a 6.17 ERA in 21 games and 17 starts, striking out 77 batters in 70 innings pitched.
This prompted him to move to the bullpen last offseason to give himself a better chance of playing in the major leagues.
Aside from some early injury issues that seem to plague him on and off, the transition has been smooth, with a 2.17 ERA in his 27 Triple-A appearances, striking out 40 batters in 29 innings.
Whitley now gets another chance to show what he can do in the major leagues. If things go badly, it will feel like one of his last opportunities in Houston.
Salazar's promotion is an example of a player in a stuck position benefiting from squad expansion.
He was with the Astros for a stint from mid-June to mid-July when backup catcher Victor Caratini was on the injured list, but when he was healthy enough to return, Salazar was sent back to the farm.
Now he will spend the final month of the year with the team and can be recalled by manager Joe Espada in case of injury or if he is needed for a specific game.
