With the recent news of Joe Smith‘s surgery, accompanied by Collin McHugh‘s imminent move to the starting rotation, the bullpen is losing a lot of innings worth of work. The Astros may need to shift their offseason priorities or find a solution within their organization.
As reported earlier, Joe Smith ruptured his Achilles tendon in his left leg during a workout session. Surgery was performed to repair it and he’s expected to miss 6-8 months, making an August return a reasonable assumption. Then there is the question of his effectiveness and durability when he does get back on the mound.