The Houston Astros have signed journeyman pitcher Matt Bowman to their roster after he was released by Baltimore earlier on Saturday, Aug. 30. Bowman has been assigned to AAA Sugarland, but is eligible to be added to Houston’s playoff roster if they decide he is needed. Players signed after Sept. 1 are ineligible to be named to playoff rosters, so the Astros just beat the clock.
The 34-year-old has spent parts of seven seasons in the majors, though he logged just 24.2 innings with the Orioles this season, posting an ERA of 6.20. Originally drafted by the Mets in 2012, Bowman has pitched for seven different MLB teams and holds a career record of 8-14 with a 4.38 ERA.
Bowman has nearly triple the amount of MiLB innings in his professional career than he does in the MLB. He will likely finish out September with AAA Sugarland unless injuries dictate a need for him at the Major League level, but he is an insurance piece if anything goes wrong in the Astros bullpen heading down the stretch.
A Stellar Season For Astros Pitching Staff
It’s been another strong season for the always dangerous Houston Astros pitching staff. Houston has racked up 1,287 strikeouts this season, good for best in the league, while they sit in the top-10 in other major categories like ERA, runs allowed and hits allowed.
The Astros have a great 1-2 punch at the top of their rotation with Hunter Brown, who was in early consideration for the AL Cy Young Award, and Framber Valdez, who has been one of the most consistent starting pitchers in the MLB in the last five years.
The Astros bullpen is pretty sure handed with Bryan Abreu, Bryan King and Steven Okert having strong seasons, while Bennett Sousa and Josh Hader have been outstanding, though both are on the 15-day IL at the moment.
If Sousa or Hader face any setbacks in their rehab assignments, that is where the Bowman signing will pay off.
Checking in on Houston’s Playoff Chances
Houston has held a playoff spot for pretty much the entire season, and as of Aug. 31, sit firmly atop the AL West at 75-61. The Seattle Mariners have been breathing down their backs lately, though Houston has been able to fend them off with timely wins. The Mariners sit three games back and occupy the final Wild Card slot behind the Yankees and Red Sox.
Although the Astros sit in first in their division, both Detroit and Toronto sit 3.5 and 3 games ahead of them, respectively. This means that if Houston cannot leapfrog one of them, they will be forced to play in the Wild Card round, likely against their division rivals Seattle.
According to CBS Sports, Houston has a 52.4 percent chance to win the AL West and an 87.3 percent chance to make the playoffs.
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