Houston Astros general manager Dana Brown said on Sports Talk 790 that left-handed pitching prospect Colton Gordon is a candidate to be recalled from Triple-A Sugar Land to start on Wednesday against the visiting Kansas City Royals. Gordon could temporarily join the team's starting rotation in the big leagues as they move to a six-man rotation. The 26-year-old southpaw is regarded as Houston's No. 14 prospect by MLB Pipeline and could be a short-term stop-gap to help fill in for the injured Hayden Wesneski (elbow). The former eight-round pick in 2021 out of Central Florida has been sharp in eight starts at Triple-A, going 4-0 with a 2.55 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 43:8 K:BB in 42 1/3 innings. Gordon won't be a must-add in single-year fantasy leagues because he may only make a few starts. He leans on a low-velocity heater and sweeping slider to keep hitters off balance.

According to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com, Houston Astros pitching prospect Colton Gordon could push for an early-season debut. McTaggart noted that with Luis Garcia (elbow), Christian Javier (elbow), and Lance McCullers Jr. (forearm) all expected to be sideline past Opening Day, Gordon could find his way on the Opening Day roster. While Gordon may not earn a spot in the rotation, as Hayden Wesneski is expected to earn the No. 5 spot, Gordon could still find a role as a long reliever. The No. 12 ranked prospect in the Houston system on MLB.com held a 3.94 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP across 123 1/3 innings at the Triple-level last season. He struck out 124 batters and served up 39 free passes. This was a nice improvement compared to the 4.63 ERA and a 1.74 WHIP he held during his Triple-A debut in 2023. Fantasy managers in deeper formats should monitor the southpaw's progression during spring training, as he could see occasional starts during the first half of the season.