Astros predicted to call up flamethrowing prospect amid mounting rotation injuries

The Houston Astros are in the middle of a nightmare road trip. They've lost five in a row, and six of their last seven games, all on the road. That included a sweep at the hands of the Colorado Rockies.

But, more important than the losses were the rotation injuries. Hunter Brown, Cristian Javier, and now seemingly Taatsuya Imai all sustained injuries during this road trip. The rotation depth is a big issue.

Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report is predicting that the Astros will call up top flamethrowing pitching prospect Miguel Ullola to bolster the injury-depleted rotation.

Astros predicted to call up Miguel Ullola amid injury issues

"The Astros have shown a real knack for developing pitchers with an elite fastball over the years," Reuter writes. "Miguel Ullola fits the bill with a 65-grade heater that touches 97 mph with electric late life."

Ullola would be a nice call-up this April to help take away from the major concerns in the rotation. Brown and Javier are on the injured list, and Imai might be joining them.

Instead of stressing about the rotation, the Astros could follow Reuter's prediction and call up Ullola this April to bolster the rotation without making a trade or outside signing.

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He has a 1.86 ERA in two starts in the minors this season, and he had a 3.88 ERA in 23 starts (28 games) last year. While he might not be the most dominant pitcher, getting him into the rotation amid all of their injury issues would make sense.

The Astros need help in their starting rotation, and adding someone like Ullola would be more than just a new arm; he'd be a fun call-up with plenty of potential as a 23-year-old prospect making his big-league debut.

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