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.