The team will carry multiple long relief pitchers in the bullpen.

The Astros open the season playing 26 games in the first 28 days.

Starting pitchers typically don’t begin the season with high pitch counts or pitch into the later innings, so relief pitchers have a heavier workload to handle.

Two Astros relief pitchers are starting the season on the injured list.

Mike Burrows has been announced as the starter for the Astros second game of the season. Hunter Brown will make his first Opening Day start on Thursday.