When spring training began, Spencer Arrighetti was one of the top candidates to fill one of the final starting rotation spots for the Houston Astros. Coming off a disappointing and injury-plagued 2025 campaign that limited him to just 35 and 1/3 innings over seven starts and a 5.35 ERA, the 26-year-old entered 2026 as a breakout candidate.
While there were some indications Arrighetti could win a job, he posted a 6.75 ERA this spring over just eight innings of work, leading to a demotion to Triple-A Sugar Land. The announcement might take the wind out of some of his most ardent supporters' sails, but as Joe Espada explains, everything is not as it seems.