Hayden Wesneski, acquired by the Houston Astros in a significant offseason trade involving star outfielder Kyle Tucker, was expected to play a key role in the team's starting rotation.

The trade, which sent Kyle Tucker to the Chicago Cubs, was seen as an attractive deal for the Astros, who hoped Wesneski would help bolster their pitching staff.

In the 2025 season, Wesneski had a record of 1-3 with a 4.50 ERA across six starts before facing injury setbacks.

He was placed on the 15-day injured list on May 9, 2025, due to right elbow discomfort after allowing four runs in four innings against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Subsequent tests revealed damage to his ulnar collateral ligament (UCL), leading to the decision for surgery.

On May 18, 2025, manager Joe Espada announced that Wesneski would undergo Tommy John surgery, effectively sidelining him for the remainder of the 2025 season.

The surgery is expected to keep Wesneski out until late in the 2026 season, adding to the Astros' growing list of injured pitchers.

This surgery is part of a broader injury crisis for the Astros, who are already missing several key pitchers including Lance McCullers Jr. and Cristian Javier.

Despite a rocky start to his Major League career, Wesneski had shown promise early on, posting a respectable 3.86 ERA in his first five starts of the season.

Wesneski was originally selected by the New York Yankees in the sixth round of the 2019 MLB Draft and was traded to the Cubs in 2022 before joining the Astros.

The Astros took a chance on Wesneski, hoping their resources would help him reach his potential, but now face a long recovery period for the promising pitcher.

Wesneski plans to have the surgery performed by Dr. Keith Meister, the team physician for the Texas Rangers, in the Dallas area.