MLB writer issues warning to Astros amid 7-11 start: 'they're in trouble'

MLB writer issues warning to Astros amid 7-11 start: 'they're in trouble' originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Houston Astros are 7-11 to begin the season, which, on its own, is a big concern for the team. But, there's a whole lot more going on that's cause for concern.

Houston is coming off a road trip that could be best described as a nightmare. They were swept by the Colorado Rockies, and won one game against the Athletics and the Seattle Mariners. But even that rough patch is hardly scratching the surface of the concerns.

The Astros are dealing with a plethora of injuries, and combined with the poor record, Bleacher Report's Zachary D. Rymer made the reasonable warning to the Astros that "They're in trouble."

The Astros are in major trouble this season

"It's still early, and this is not the first time in recent history that the Astros have gotten off to a slow start," Rymer writes. "But in the context of the injuries and the diminishing returns of recent seasons, it feels for real."

Houston's struggles this season are a very real problem. While the offense is perfectly fine, in fact, it's one of the best in MLB, they're dealing with some major pitching woes.

The worst part about those pitching issues is the sheer amount of walks they're allowing. It's a big issue, and not conducive to being a postseason team, let alone a successful one.

But even the on-field issues pale in comparison to the injuries this team is dealing with. Jeremy Pena is out for a while due to a hamstring issue, while Jake Meyers is out with an oblique strain. Both will miss time.

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And the worst of it is on the pitching staff. Hunter Brown, Tatsuya Imai, and Cristian Javier are all on the injured list. Cody Bolton might join them soon as well.

Add in the injuries already to Josh Hader, Ronel Blanco, Hayden Wesneski, Brandon Walter, Bennett Sousa, and Nate Pearson, and the Astros are missing a lot of talent in the pitching staff alone.

Between the struggles recently to win games and the massive injury issues plaguing the roster, it's hard to see this start to the year as anything other than concerning.

And as Rymer notes, this issue is more than a simple problem. The Astros are in trouble, as these issues are for real, and not simply a fluke.

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