BOSTON -- Astros right-hander Mike Burrows finally delivered a quality start Friday night, which came in his seventh outing of the season. He worked six innings in a 3-1 loss to the Red Sox at Fenway Park, giving up a three-run homer in the third inning to Jarren Duran that was all Boston needed to send Houston to a 12-21 record.
Burrows, acquired from the Pirates in a three-team trade on Dec. 19, has pitched better than his numbers may indicate, but a 5.97 ERA in his first 37 2/3 innings leaves him with clear room for improvement. A leadoff walk in the third to Carlos Narváez -- which capped an 11-pitch plate appearance -- and a single by nine-hole hitter Caleb Durbin got Burrows in trouble in Boston.
Facing Duran, Burrows threw a curveball in the middle of the zone that was taken for a strike, but another curveball on the next pitch was walloped into the right-field bleachers for a homer. Burrows nearly let the inning spin out of control, but he managed to finish six frames for the second time this year, throwing 94 pitches.
“When I make a mistake like tonight and leave a second curveball in the zone, back-to-back [pitches], that’s one you want back, and you just make that effort not to miss that pitch the next time around,” Burrows said.
Here’s a look at how the Astros’ other offseason pitching acquisitions have performed this year:
RHP Tatsuya Imai
How acquired: Signed out of Japan on Jan. 5 to a three-year contract worth $54 million that has opt-outs after the '26 and '27 seasons.
How it’s going: Not great. After a strong spring, Imai stumbled out of the gate and posted a 7.27 ERA in three starts before going on the injured list with arm fatigue. He allowed three hits in 5 2/3 innings in his second start of the season in Sacramento on April 4 before a disastrous outing in Seattle on April 10 in which he recorded only one out and walked four batters. Imai later said he’s had trouble adjusting to American culture on and off the field.
In his first Minor League rehab outing on Tuesday for Double-A Corpus Christi, he allowed five runs, six hits and three walks in two innings. He will make one more rehab start on Tuesday or Wednesday with Triple-A Sugar Land before rejoining the Astros rotation.
RHP Kai-Wei Teng
How acquired: From the Giants in exchange for Minor League catcher Jancel Villarroel on Jan. 29.
How it’s going: Good. Teng has been the biggest bright spot among all of Houston’s offseason pitching additions. He has a 2.75 ERA in 19 2/3 innings, the first 16 2/3 of which came in relief. He started Tuesday’s series opener in Baltimore and threw a season-high 42 pitches in three innings as an opener, allowing two runs and five hits.
RHP Peter Lambert
How acquired: Signed to a Minor League contract on Nov. 3, and re-signed to a Minor League contract on March 27 after being released just before the regular season started.
How it’s going: Solid. Lambert, who played in Japan last year, had a strong spring with the Astros, but he was released at the end of camp. They signed him back to a Minor League contract the day after Opening Day and he was called up on April 17. He’s made three starts, posting a 3.52 ERA in 15 1/3 innings. He threw six scoreless innings with 16 whiffs at Cleveland on April 22. Lambert got 23 whiffs (including nine on his changeup) in his first start on April 17, allowing four runs and seven hits in five innings against St. Louis.
RHP Ryan Weiss
How acquired: Signed out of Korea on Dec. 9 to a one-year, $2.6 million deal with an option for 2027.
How it’s going: Room for improvement. Weiss has posted a 6.65 ERA in eight games, including two starts. He’s walked 16 batters in 21 2/3 innings, but he has struck out 25 batters, too. He started back-to-back games on April 16 and 21, and he couldn’t finish four innings because he walked four batters each time.
RHP Nate Pearson
How acquired: Signed to a one-year, $1.35 million deal on Oct. 21.
How it’s going: TBD. Pearson, who had offseason surgery to clean up his right elbow, had his throwing program slowed down in the spring because of soreness. He’s returned to the mound, making a pair of Minor League rehab starts, including Wednesday at Double-A Corpus Christi. He threw 53 pitches (28 strikes) in two innings, allowing four hits, four runs and three walks while striking out three batters.