The latest news and updates on the Houston Astros:
Cristian Javier will return to the Astros in the bullpen:
Javier’s inability to maintain effective velocity has plagued him since he returned from Tommy John surgery. It continues to be an issue for him on his rehab assignment. The Astros appear to be banking that shorter outings can allow Javier to maximize his best velocity in shorter bursts. How well his arm holds up to pen life is yet to be uncovered. Whether he can go back to back days, 3 out of 4, etc, whether he is comfortable coming in mid-inning with men on base (or can be trusted in such a situation as he does walk his share of batters) are all things the Astros must find out between now and the deadline.
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Also noted in Rome’s piece:
Kai-Wei Teng will return to the team in the bullpen.
The Teng as a start experiment is over for 2026 (pending further notice). Teng developed arm fatigue starting, as he has pitched more innings in a short period of time than he was previously accustomed to. He was originally optioned to Triple-A Sugar Land to get some down time, but the Astros then discovered the knee injury. As a result, they cancelled his minor league assignment and placed him on the major league 15-day IL.
Teams are interested in P A.J. Blubaugh:
Blubaugh leads all MLB relievers in innings pitched. He has often been called upon to bail the Astros pen out when a starter fails to get any depth into a game (something that once again happened yesterday). Blubaugh make s the minimum, throws up to 98 MPH, and has pitched as a starter in the minors, making him highly attractive to suitors.
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Could the Javier experiment in the pen be a precursor to Blubaugh being dealt to acquire a bigger need elsewhere? His stuff, early success, minimum contract and team control should make his value very high.
The maddening Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde act of Tatsuya Imai continues:
That Imai has such terrific stuff yet somehow loses all command so completely and so quickly is one of the biggest mysteries of the sport this season. That the Astros famous ‘pitching lab’ hasn’t been able to get him figured out may be the 2nd biggest mystery.
After being the first Astros starter to post double digit strikeouts in back to back games, Imai laid another colossal egg yesterday being unable to get out of the 2nd inning, allowing 2 HR and 5 BB.
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Houston’s ability to get Imai straightened out will be a top 3 factor in whether the team makes the postseason or not. The swings from ‘Good Imai” to “Bad Imai” are simply too drastic to survive the dog days of August, as his bad days put far too much pressure on a bullpen that has already been overtaxed this season.
Ray Delgado: He’s here, he’s gone, he’s back, now he’s gone again:
It has been a whirlwind for the rookie infielder, who got his first taste of the bigs 2 days after the Astros acquired him for cash considerations. He has held his own at the plate, and been a versatile defender.
He then got caught in the numbers game when Nick Allen was ready to be activated, only to be recalled a day later when Jeremy Pena landed back on the IL. Unfortunately for Delgado, a bad hop just stole some of his opportunity.
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Delgado has gotten the start at SS yesterday, his second game since being recalled following Pena’s injury. A bad hop ball that struck second base right in front of him led him to try to adjust to the new higher trajectory of the ball with his bare hand. The ball banged off his right pinky, dislocating it.
While the Astros have not made any official move as yet, it seems likely an IL stint is coming up.
Perhaps Braden Shewmake, who equated himself well previously this season before he landed on the IL, could be a candidate to replace him when the team will need to make a decision before Friday’s game.
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Christian Walker left yesterday’s game with lower back soreness:
Walker has struggled in the month of June but has also been the team’s second best power bat behind Yordan Alvarez. Walker is tied for the team lead in doubles (16), second in HR (19), RBI (56), Hits (77) and Runs (45). His defense at 1B and ability to pick throws cannot be understated.
While Walker played down the significance of the injury, it is certainly something to monitor as the team is very much feeling the loss of Jeremy Pena right now. With Carlos Correa already lost for the season and the OF providing little offense, losing Walker for an extended period would be a big blow to the lineup.
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The Astros top 2 prospects are going to the Futures Game:
Alvarez (18) and Neyens (19) are the jewels of the system. They will also be highly sought after at the deadline. In a season where top prospects should carry extra value with a looming long work stoppage expected, if the Astros decide to trade either of them, they must get absolute max value for them. They cannot be traded for marginal improvements, only for true impact players (should they be dealt at all).
