The Astros have designated 30-year old righty starting pitcher Philip Humber for assignment.  Humber pitched in 9 games (7 starts) for the Astros this year and he was 0-8 with a 9.59 ERA and a 2.02 WHIP.  Humber has pitched in 89 games (51 starts) in his first 8 years in the majors and he is 16-23 with a 5.34 ERA and a 1.43 WHIP.  Humber’s roster spot was needed for Edgar Gonzalez, who can’t be any worse than he was for the Astros.  Good riddance.

UPDATE:  (5/15/2013) - Philip Humber has been outrighted to AAA by the Astros.

30-year old righty starting pitcher Philip Humber is getting sent to the pen and he deserves to get yanked from the rotation with the way he has been pitching.  Humber has pitched in 7 games (all starts) for the Astros so far this year and he is 0-7 with a 8.82 ERA and a 1.93 WHIP.  He has given up 52 hits (6 homers) and he has walked 13 batters while whiffing 16 of them in his first 33 2/3 innings…..which is pathetic.  25-year old lefty Dallas Keuchel will replace Humber in the rotation.  Keuchel has pitched in 6 games (0 starts) for the Astros so far this year and he is 0-1 with a 4.96 ERA and a 1.84 WHIP.  Keuchel started 16 games as a rookie for the Astros last year and he was 3-8 with a 5.27 ERA and a 1.55 WHIP.

32-year old righty reliever Jose Veras came into this season with five saves in his first seven years in the majors.  But, he jumped at the opportunity for his first shot to close when the Astros offered him a shot at the job.  He has pitched in 9 games (0 starts) for the Astros so far this year and he is 0-1 with 2 saves, a 5.19 ERA and a 1.62 WHIP.  Veras has given up 11 hits and walked 3 batters while whiffing 9 batters in his first 8 2/3 innings this year.  The Astros are only 7-15 on the season, so Veras likely isn’t going to be a bump any time soon in save chances.  That being said, the Astros hope that Veras starts pitching better soon.

21-year old righty starting pitcher Jordan Lyles has had little success so far in his major league career to date. He has pitched in 15 games (all starts) for the Astros so far this year and he is 2-8 with a 5.95 ERA and a 1.55 WHIP. Lyles has given up 106 hits (17 homers) and 25 walks in 84 2/3 innings so far this year while whiffing 55 batters, and that’s not good. Lyles has now pitched in 35 games (30 starts) in his first two years with the Astros and he is 4-16 with a 5.64 ERA and a 1.48 WHIP. Lyles is way too young to give up on, but the Astros are going to need to start seeing progess or they are going to have to send him back to AAA.

The Astros figured the 27-year old righty starting pitcher Bud Norris was ready to take his game to a new level in 2012, due to a somewhat breakout year in 2011. Norris pitched in 31 games (all starts) for the Astros last year and he was 6-11 with a 3.77 ERA and a 1.33 WHIP. But, he has taken a step backwards so far in 2012. Norris has started 16 games for the Astros so far this year and he is 5-7 with a 4.70 ERA and a 1.42 WHIP. Norris has pitched 92 innings so far this year in which he has allowed 93 hits (13 homers), walked 38 batters and he has whiffed 94. Norris has great stuff, but he has to learn to become more of a pitcher than a thrower if he’s going to ever reach his full potential.

Last year, Brett Myers had a fine year for the Astros. He pitched in 33 games (all starts) for the Astros last year and he was 14-8 with a 3.14 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP as he finished 10th in the voting for the N.L. Cy Young Award. For that, the Astros signed him to a 2-year, $23 million dollar deal with a vesting option for the 2013 season. Myers’ reward for the Astros’ faith in him has been a dismal 2011 season. Myers has pitched in 27 games (all starts) for the Astros this year and he is 3-13 with a 4.95 ERA and a 1.40 WHIP. He has given up 191 hits (29 of them are homers) in only 172 2/3 innings this year, as he has gotten hit hard. The Astros have tried to trade Myers, but they have found no takers due to the combo of his lack of performance and big paycheck. The Astros better hope that Myers turns things around soon because they appear stuck with him now.

The Astros just couldn’t watch 28-year old lefty starting pitcher J.A. Happ implode anymore at the major league level, so they have sent him to the minors. Happ has started 22 games for the Astros so far this year and he is 4-14 with a 6.26 ERA and a 1.66 WHIP. He has given up 135 hits (17 homers) and he has walked 63 batters in his first 119 1/3 innings so far this year and that is a recipe for disaster. Happ has now pitched in 35 games (all starts) in his two seasons since coming over in the Roy Oswalt deal and he is 9-18 with a 5.32 ERA and a 1.53 WHIP. The Astros might call Happ back up when rosters expand on September 1st as long as he pitches well in the minors. 26-year old lefty reliever Wesley Wright will replace Happ on the pitching staff. Wright has pitched in 35 games (3 starts) in AAA-ball for the Astros this year and he is 2-1 with 2 saves, a 2.29 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP. He has only given up 44 hits in his first 59 innings this year, so maybe things are starting to come together for Wright. He has pitched in 134 games (4 starts) in his first three years with the Astros and he is 8-9 with 1 save, a 5.33 ERA and a 1.55 WHIP.

30-year old righty starting pitcher Brett Myers got a nice two year deal from the Astros as a reward for how well he pitched in 2010. Myers pitched in 33 games (all starts) last year for the Astros and he was 14-8 with a 3.14 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP. This season though, he’s had some issues. He has started 21 games for the Astros so far this year and he is 3-10 with a 4.74 ERA and a 1.37 WHIP. The Astros need Myers to pick up the pace in the second half if they are going to try to really avoid having 100 losses on the season.

28-year old lefty starting pitcher J.A. Happ was a key player in the Roy Oswalt deal with the Phillies last summer. He pitched solid ball for the Astros last year but 2011 has been a different story. Happ has started 17 games for the Astros this year and he is 3-10 with a 5.63 ERA and a 1.54 WHIP. Happ has walked 46 batters in his first 94 1/3 innings this year, which should come as little surprise as he has never had good control. Happ has started 30 games in his first two years with the Astros and he is 8-14 with a 4.82 ERA and a 1.44 WHIP. The Astros need to find a way to coax Happ into throwing more strikes in the very near future, as he seems to be walking a tightrope every time he takes the hill.

31-year old lefty starting pitcher appeared to breakout last season for the Astros. Rodriguez pitched in 33 games (all starts) for the Astros last season and he was 14-12 with a 3.02 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP. But he has looked nothing like the pitcher he was last season for the Astros in 2010. He has pitched in 13 games (all starts) for the Astros this year and he is 3-9 with a 5.60 ERA and a 1.67 WHIP. He has walked 30 batters and he has given up 91 hits in only 72 1/3 innings for the Astros this year. Rodriguez might turn from a piece of the Astros’ future to part of the impending Fire Sale coming up next month.