Asher Wojciechowski

Wojciechowski made the Astros' Opening Day rotation after a terrific spring, during which he compiled a 1.29 ERA over 21 Grapefruit League innings. He was easily the team's best starter in camp, but had Brett Oberholtzer or Brad Peacock been healthy -- both opened 2015 on the DL -- he likely would have began the season in Triple-A. Wojciechowski's performance at the big league level last season proved he's not quite ready for the majors, as he struggled with a 7.16 ERA and 1.84 WHIP over five appearances (three starts). The 27-year-old right-hander spent the bulk of 2015 with Triple-A Fresno, going 8-4 with a 4.92 ERA and 1.48 WHIP in 20 starts with the affiliate. Wojciechowski is not expected to compete for a back-end rotation spot this spring as Houston eyes a return to the playoffs.

After compiling a 3.75 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 35 wins in five minor league seasons, Wojciechowski was a strong candidate to make the Astros' Opening Day roster. Unfortunately, a strained lat muscle forced him to miss all of spring training and delays in his recovery sidelined him until late May. The right-hander felt stiffness after his first rehab start for Triple-A Oklahoma City and he was sent back to extended spring training as a result of a flexor strain. Upon his return from injury a few weeks later, Wojciechowski posted a 4-4 record with a 4.74 ERA, 1.45 WHIP and 59:21 K:BB over 76 Triple-A innings. His 1.2 HR/9 was unusually high given his 0.7 HR/9 average in the minors, but his 7.0 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9 fell in line with his career stats. Assuming he's fully healthy heading into 2015, Wojciechowski is expected to compete for a back-end rotation spot for the Astros in spring training.

After breezing through 26 innings (three starts) at Double-A, Wojciechowski earned a promotion to Triple-A Oklahoma City, where he became the workhorse of the pitching staff. The 25-year-old right-hander logged 134 innings (21 starts) at the affiliate, compiling a 9-7 record with a 3.56 ERA and 1.19 WHIP. His mid-90s fastball, curveball and improved changeup forced opposing hitters to strike out 104 times against 44 walks. Wojciechowski appears close to the majors, and given the current state of the Astros' starting rotation, he could easily make the Opening Day roster out of spring training as one of the team's back-end options.

Wojciechowski's first full season as a pro didn't go very well as the 22-year-old from The Citadel struggled in the pitching-friendly confines of the Florida State League (1.435 WHIP, 4.70 ERA, 6.64 K/9IP in 22 starts). He's armed with a nice fastball/slider combination but needs a third pitch if he wants to make a go of it as a starter. The 6-foot-4 righty could advance quickly if the Jays decide to pull the plug on his days as a starting pitcher, but that would understandably curb his upside for those in keeper leagues.