Former pitching coach Brent Strom to rejoin Astros as consultant to help struggling staff

Former pitching coach Brent Strom is set to return to the Houston Astros as a consultant, in an effort to aid the team's struggling staff. The 77-year-old pitching veteran will join the Houston club for Friday's matchup against the New York Mets. Manager Joe Espada revealed that Strom will be present in the dugout during games, wearing a uniform and providing his insights.

Espada expressed excitement about Strom's return, stating that the veteran's experience and perspective will be valuable as the Astros push for a division title. Strom, who served as Houston's pitching coach from 2014-2021, played a significant role in the organization during that period, as the Astros made three World Series appearances.

Before joining the Astros, Strom spent three seasons as a pitching coach for the Arizona Diamondbacks, who reached the World Series in 2023. He also contributed to the Pittsburgh Pirates as an assistant pitching coach last season, where he helped ace Paul Skonieczny secure the NL Cy Young Award, with the Pirates posting a team ERA of 3.76, ranking seventh in the league.

Currently, the Astros are facing a challenging season, with 10 losses in their last 16 games and a 4.68 ERA that places them 25th among the 30 MLB teams. The starting pitchers' ERA of 5.17 is the third-worst in the major leagues. However, despite these struggles, Houston maintains a half-game lead in the American League West over Texas.

Espada believes that Strom's fresh set of eyes and involvement in the team's meetings, throwing programs, video analysis, and coaching will prove beneficial for the Astros moving forward.