The Astros have designated reliever Kaleb Ort for assignment, opening up a 40-man roster spot. This move comes as a result of their three-year free agent deal with Tatsuya Imai. Ort, who joined the Astros via a waiver claim from Baltimore in 2024, had a solid start with a 2.55 ERA across 22 games. However, his performance dipped in the latter part of the season, with a 4.89 ERA across 46 innings, despite his impressive strikeout rate. Ort's struggles were further exacerbated by his high walk rate and a higher-than-average home run rate, which persisted for the third consecutive season. Manager Joe Espada utilized Ort in the middle innings, but his role shifted when key players Josh Hader and Bennett Sousa suffered injuries in August, leading to Bryan Abreu taking over the closing role. Ort's season ended prematurely due to elbow inflammation in September, ruling him out for the rest of the season. With Ort's minor league options exhausted and his age approaching 34, the Astros face a decision. They have a strong bullpen with established players like Hader, Abreu, Sousa, Steven Okert, and Bryan King, as well as near-locks Nate Pearson and Enyel De Los Santos. The Astros must decide whether to trade Ort or keep him as a non-roster invitee, considering his limited MLB service time and lack of prior outright assignments.
