Houston Astros News

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Tatsuya Imai • SP • Astros

Tatsuya Imai Bounces Back With Career-High 11 Strikeouts on Friday

Houston Astros right-hander Tatsuya Imai got off to a rough start to his first year in the United States and landed on the injured list with a dead arm. The 28-year-old Japanese native entered his start on Friday night at Daikin Park against the Cleveland Guardians with an ugly 6.43 ERA (5.24 FIP) and 1.51 WHIP with 37 strikeouts and 24 walks in 35 innings over his first nine starts and looking to rebound after giving up five earned runs on four hits while walking one and striking out one in just two-thirds of an inning his last time out on June 12 against the Kansas City Royals. He did just that on Friday night, picking up his fourth win of 2026 by giving up three earned runs on six hits (one homer) while walking none and striking out a career-high 11 batters in six innings pitched. It was only the second time in his first 10 MLB outings that he didn't allow a walk, and Imai did most of his damage against Cleveland with his nasty slider. Imai's ERA still sits above 6.00, but he has now recorded three quality starts in his last five outings and looks to be turning a corner as we near the All-Star break next month.

Yesterday

Jeremy Peña • SS • Astros

Jeremy Pena Continues Strong Month of June With Two-Homer Game

Houston Astros shortstop Jeremy Pena hasn't been much of a power threat this year, but he went off on Friday night in the team's 9-3 win at Daikin Park over the visiting Cleveland Guardians by going 3-for-5 at the plate with two home runs, three RBI, and a strikeout to raise his season average to .289 and his OPS to .812 out of the leadoff spot. The 28-year-old Dominican shortstop missed some time earlier this season with an injury, but he has been reliable all year when he's been available, coming into Friday's game with a .279/.344/.415 slash line, .759 OPS, four home runs, 15 RBI, 26 runs scored, and five stolen bases in his 147 at-bats. Pena is heating up with the weather, too, recording multi-hit games in three straight games with four extra-base hits and six RBI. He's now up to a .289/.351/.461 slash line with six home runs in 168 plate appearances. Pena now has three home runs in his last two games and came into Friday with a .291 average (16-for-55) with a homer, four doubles, seven RBI, 11 runs scored, and two stolen bases in 15 games in June. Continue to ride him in fantasy leagues while he's hot.

Yesterday

Mike Burrows • SP • Astros

Mike Burrows Being Skipped in Astros Rotation

The Houston Astros are going with pitchers Tatsuya Imai, Spencer Arrighetti, and Kai-Wei Teng for their upcoming three-game series against the Cleveland Guardians this weekend, which means they will skip right-hander Mike Burrows, according to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. Burrows will be skipped in the rotation for the time being, but with right-hander Cristian Javier (shoulder) potentially returning to the big-league roster soon, the 26-year-old could be moved to a relief role entirely after his struggles in 2026. The former 11th-rounder by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2018 has gone 3-8 this year with a bloated 5.86 ERA (5.69 FIP) and 1.58 WHIP with 65 strikeouts and 30 walks in 78 1/3 frames across his 14 starts in his first season with the Astros (third total in the majors). Burrows leads the league in hits allowed (94) and earned runs (51) as well. He's really fallen apart in his last six starts, allowing 29 runs (26 earned) on 42 hits (10 homers) while walking 16 and striking out 23 in 33 2/3 innings pitched. Burrows has quickly lost most of what little fantasy value he had, and he's now rostered in only 12% of Yahoo leagues.

4 days ago

Yainer Diaz • C • Astros

Yainer Diaz Activated From Injured List and Back in Tuesday's Lineup

The Houston Astros activated catcher Yainer Diaz (oblique) from the 10-day injured list on Tuesday, according to Chandler Rome of The Athletic. Diaz is back behind the plate to catch right-hander Hunter Brown (shoulder), who is also returning from the IL on Tuesday, and will bat sixth for the Astros against the visiting Detroit Tigers and left-hander Framber Valdez. Diaz will return as Houston's primary catcher for the first time since straining his left oblique back in early May. His return will push veteran backstop Christian Vazquez to a backup role. The 27-year-old Dominican was hitting .238 (24-for-101) with two home runs, 14 RBI, and seven runs scored in 26 games before landing on the IL. With 20-plus home runs in two of his first three full seasons in the big leagues, Diaz definitely has fantasy value in single-catcher leagues now that he's back on the field for the Astros. Check your league's waiver wire if you need an upgrade at the position. Diaz is rostered in under half of Yahoo leagues right now.

5 days ago

Yainer Diaz • C • Astros

Yainer Diaz Could Return on Tuesday

Houston Astros catcher Yainer Diaz (oblique) took live at-bats on Monday after his scheduled rehab appearance with Triple-A Sugar Land on Sunday was rained out, per Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. McTaggart reports that Houston "wants (Diaz) activated" on Tuesday so he can be behind the plate for Astros starting pitcher Hunter Brown (shoulder), who is scheduled to return from the 60-day injured list to start against the Detroit Tigers. Diaz has not appeared in the big leagues since early May due to an oblique strain. He got off to a slow start before the injury, hitting .238/.255/.347 with two home runs, 14 RBI, and seven runs scored across 106 plate appearances. However, the 27-year-old hit .256 with 20 home runs and 70 RBI across 567 plate appearances in 2025. Fantasy managers in need of help behind the plate should consider targeting Diaz on the waiver wire ahead of his return.

5 days ago

Hunter Brown • SP • Astros

Hunter Brown Set to Return to Astros Rotation on Tuesday

Houston Astros starting pitcher Hunter Brown (shoulder) will return to his team's rotation on Tuesday against the Detroit Tigers, per Chandler Rome of The Athletic. Brown has been on the injured list since early April due to a shoulder strain. The 27-year-old was one of the better pitchers in baseball in 2025, recording a 12-9 record with a 2.43 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, and 206 strikeouts across 185 1/3 innings (31 starts). He's largely looked like himself in his minor league outings while rehabbing the shoulder injury, recording a 1.88 ERA, 0.77 WHIP, and 21 strikeouts across 14 1/3 innings (four starts). Upon his return, Brown profiles as a must-start starting pitcher with SP1 upside for fantasy managers.

7 days ago

Yainer Diaz • C • Astros

Yainer Diaz Could Return Next Week

Houston Astros catcher Yainer Diaz (oblique) could rejoin the team as early as next Monday, according to Brian McTaggart. Diaz has been sidelined since early May due to a left oblique strain. He began a rehab assignment in early June and appears to be nearing his return to the big league roster. The assumption is that Diaz will reclaim the starting catcher gig once he's back on the roster. Before going down, Diaz was slashing .238/.255/.347 with two home runs and 14 RBI across 26 games. Those aren't great numbers, but Diaz does have a good track record as a hitter throughout his career. Fantasy managers in need of help at the catching position should consider scooping up Diaz with his return looming.

7 days ago

Yordan Alvarez • DH • Astros

Yordan Alvarez Slugs Astros to Victory With Two More Home Runs

Houston Astros outfielder Yordan Alvarez was at it again on Friday night in Kansas City against the Royals, helping lead his team to a 10-8 victory by going 3-for-5 at the plate with two home runs and six RBI to boost his season average to .321 and his OPS to a stellar 1.092. Incredibly, both of Alvarez's home runs on the night came in the first inning when the Astros jumped out with nine runs in the first frame. The 28-year-old left-hander's first long ball was a two-run shot, and then he went yard for a grand slam to do even more damage. The three-time All-Star and former Silver Slugger winner is now up to a .321/.433/.659 slash line, 24 home runs, 54 RBI, 48 runs scored, and a stolen base in his 252 at-bats in 2026. Alvarez is the front-runner for the American League MVP award this year and has hit an absurd .444 (16-for-36) with four home runs, a double, 15 RBI, and nine runs scored in 10 games so far in June. He continues to blister the baseball almost every time he makes contact, ranking in the 97th percentile in hard-hit rate, the 100th percentile in xwOBA, and the 100th percentile in expected slugging.

Jun 13

Hunter Brown • SP • Astros

Hunter Brown Fans Seven in Five Innings in Rehab Start

Houston Astros right-hander Hunter Brown (shoulder) looked good on Wednesday night in what could be his final minor-league rehab start with Triple-A Sugar Land, allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits while walking two and striking out seven in five innings against Triple-A Sacramento. Brown threw 45 of his 74 pitches for strikes in the contest and generated 11 swings and misses while averaging 96.4 mph on his fastball. The 27-year-old could very well be making his next start with the Astros after working his way back from a Grade 2 strain in his right shoulder that landed him on the injured list in early April. If Brown is reinstated from the 60-day IL to rejoin Houston's starting rotation, his next outing would come next week versus the Detroit Tigers. The former fifth-rounder in 2019 out of Wayne State University will be a must-start when he returns after proving to be a fantasy ace in his breakout season in 2025. In his two starts this year before injuring his shoulder, he had a 0.84 ERA and 1.03 WHIP with 17 K's in 10 2/3 innings.

Jun 10

Cam Smith • RF • Astros

Cam Smith Carrying Value in Deeper Leagues with Emerging Power

Houston Astros outfielder Cam Smith is starting to show signs of life at the plate, giving fantasy managers a reason to keep him on the waiver-wire radar. Smith went 2-for-5 with two doubles and one RBI in Monday's 5-4 extra-inning win over the Los Angeles Angels. He is 6-for-21 over his last five games with two doubles, one triple, four RBI, and an 8:1 K:BB. The season-long production remains modest, but Smith's recent success gives him some appeal. Through 67 games, he has hit six home runs, brought in 25 runs, scored 26, and added 10 doubles. With 75% of Yahoo leagues still leaving him available, Smith is a reasonable pickup for fantasy managers in deeper leagues looking to get ahead on a young bat with developing power (13.2% barrel rate), as he should continue to see a prominent role in this lineup.

Jun 9

Yainer Diaz • C • Astros

Yainer Diaz Starting his Rehab Assignment on Tuesday

Houston Astros catcher Yainer Diaz (oblique) is starting his minor-league rehab assignment with the Triple-A Sugar Land Space Cowboys on Tuesday, according to Astros reporter Michael Schwab. Diaz has been sidelined since May 5 due to a strained left oblique, but he's nearing a return and could potentially rejoin the Astros this weekend if he can avoid a setback with Sugar Land. The 27-year-old will be Houston's starting catcher once he's reinstated from the 10-day injured list. Veteran Christian Vazquez has been serving as the starting catcher in Diaz's absence, with Cesar Salazar working as his backup. Diaz doesn't have great plate discipline and is more of a free swinger, but he has a .276 career batting average in four-plus MLB seasons and has reached the 20-homer mark in two of his three full seasons in the big leagues. While providing above-average pop at the weakest position in fantasy baseball, Diaz is certainly deserving of a waiver-wire pickup now if you need help at catcher. He's currently rostered in only 42% of Yahoo leagues.

Jun 9

Yordan Alvarez • DH • Astros

Astros Not Talking About Trading Yordan Alvarez

The Houston Astros could surely get a huge haul at this year's trade deadline for outfielder Yordan Alvarez, who leads the majors with a 1.070 OPS and the American League with 22 home runs and 48 RBI, but general manager Dana Brown has shot down speculation that the team might trade Alvarez, according to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. "We've had zero conversations internally about moving Yordan," Brown said Monday. "Zero." The left-handed slugger is in the fourth year of a six-year, $115 million contract extension that he signed four years ago this week. He's being paid at a bargain at $26 million from 2026-28, considering he's currently the front-runner for the AL MVP. And it's not like the Astros are out of the postseason by any means; they were five games out of first place in the AL West and three games out of an AL wild-card spot going into Monday's contests. Meanwhile, Alvarez is on pace to become the first Astros player since Alex Bregman in 2019 to have 40 homers, and he could make a run at Jeff Bagwell's franchise record of 47 round-trippers in 2000. After being limited to 48 games in 2025 due to injury, Alvarez is having a monster bounce-back campaign.

Jun 9

Shay Whitcomb • 3B • Astros

Astros Recall Shay Whitcomb to MLB Roster, Worth Adding in Deeper Leagues?

The Houston Astros are recalling infielder Shay Whitcomb from Triple-A Sugar Land on Monday and placing infielder Nick Allen (hamstring) on the 10-day injured list with a hamstring injury in a corresponding move, a source told Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. Whitcomb, 27, has yet to play in more than 20 games at the major-league level since debuting with the Astros in 2024. Over his 54 games played in the big leagues, he's hitting just .167/.219/.267 with a .485 OPS, two home runs, 10 RBI, six runs scored, six walks, and 27 strikeouts across 96 plate appearances. Fantasy managers can probably continue to avoid the former fifth-rounder in 2020 out of the University of California, San Diego. He profiles as primarily a super-utility man at the major-league level who most likely will struggle to find consistent playing time yet again.

Jun 8

Hunter Brown • SP • Astros

Hunter Brown Not Yet Ready for a Return

Houston Astros pitcher Hunter Brown (shoulder) is set to make his next rehab start this Wednesday for Triple-A Sugar Land. There was some speculation that he would be ready to return to the Astros following his start on Thursday, but the team has determined that he needs one more rehab outing before being activated from the Injured List. The 27-year-old has posted a 1.93 ERA across three rehab appearances, striking out 14 batters along the way. He threw 57 pitches in his most recent start, and the expectation is that he will build on that workload this Wednesday. Manager Joe Espada has said that Brown looks and feels good, but the exact timeline for his return has yet to be finalized.

Jun 6

Hunter Brown • SP • Astros

Hunter Brown Could Make Next Start with Astros

Houston Astros starting pitcher Hunter Brown (elbow) appears to be extremely close to rejoining the big league club. Brown made his third rehab start with Triple-A Sugar Land on Thursday. The right-hander reportedly felt good after the 57-pitch outing. Astros manager Joe Espada told reporters on Friday that Brown could potentially return to the Astros next week. The right-hander has been out since early April due to an elbow issue. The team should make a final decision in the coming days. Fantasy managers could get Brown back into the mix as early as next week.

Jun 5

Jose Altuve • 2B • Astros

Astros Reinstate Jose Altuve From the Injured List

The Houston Astros reinstated second baseman Jose Altuve (oblique) from the 10-day injured list on Friday and optioned infielder Zach Dezenzo to Triple-A Sugar Land in a corresponding move, according to Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle. Altuve is right back in the starting lineup for Friday's series opener against the visiting Athletics and right-hander Jack Perkins, starting at the keystone and batting fifth at Daikin Park. The 36-year-old former MVP and nine-time All-Star is returning from a Grade 2 strained left oblique that kept him out since May 16. The Venezuelan veteran did not require a minor-league rehab stint, which means he could be a bit rusty at the plate upon his return this weekend. Altive has finally felt the effects of Father Time in 2026, as he enters Friday's action with a .245/.326/.380 slash line, .706 OPS, four home runs, 12 RBI, 27 runs, and one stolen base across 42 games and 185 plate appearances. There's still time for Altuve to turn things around now that he's back to full health, and he's rostered in 85% of Yahoo leagues despite his slow start and oblique injury.

Jun 5

Hunter Brown • SP • Astros

Hunter Brown Goes 4 1/3 Innings in Latest Rehab Start

Houston Astros right-hander Hunter Brown (elbow) took the next step in his recovery by throwing 4 1/3 innings for Triple-A Sugar Land on Thursday in a no-decision against Triple-A El Paso. Brown allowed just one earned run on three hits (one homer) while walking one and striking out four. He threw 38 of his 57 pitches for strikes and touched 98.9 mph on the radar gun. Brown is looking good so far on his minor-league rehab assignment, but he's likely to need at least one more start on the farm before the Astros reinstate him from the 60-day injured list around mid-June. The 27-year-old now has a 1.93 ERA, 0.64 WHIP, and 14:1 K:BB in 9 1/3 frames over his three rehab starts with Sugar Land and Double-A Corpus Christi. Brown is a fantasy ace when healthy after breaking out for the Astros in 2025. The former fifth-rounder in 2019 out of Wayne State University was 1-0 with a 0.84 ERA and 1.03 WHIP in his two starts in 2026 before encountering elbow issues. Brown should definitely not be available on any waiver wires in fantasy leagues.

Jun 5

Collin Price • C • Astros

Astros Promote Catching Prospect Collin Price, Can he Carve Out a Role?

The Houston Astros called up catching prospect Collin Price from the minors on Thursday and designated catcher Cesar Salazar for assignment in a corresponding move, according to Chandler Rome of The Athletic. Price, a former sixth-round selection in the 2022 MLB draft out of Mercer University, will make his first appearance in the big leagues for the Astros after hitting .235/.360/.476 with an .836 OPS, 10 home runs, 26 RBI, 19 runs scored, and four stolen bases in 47 games across 200 plate appearances at Triple-A Sugar Land this year. The 26-year-old right-handed-hitting backstop had a career-best 18 long balls in 111 games played for Sugar Land last year. With Salazar off the MLB roster, Price will serve as Houston's No. 2 catcher behind Christian Vazquez for the time being. Price has shown plenty of power in the minors, but his stay in the big leagues is likely to be a short one with regular starter Yainer Diaz (oblique) looking likely to rejoin the Astros by mid-June.

Jun 4

Yainer Diaz • C • Astros

Yainer Diaz Close to Starting a Rehab Assignment

Houston Astros catcher Yainer Diaz (oblique) is hitting, throwing, and catching bullpen sessions and is close to starting a minor-league rehab assignment, according to MLB.com. Diaz has been on the 10-day injured list since May 5 with a strained left-oblique, but he's apparently nearing a return to the major-league roster and could be back for fantasy managers in mid-June. Until he is reinstated from the IL, the Astros will move forward with Christian Vazquez as their starting catcher, with Cesar Salazar backing him up. Diaz, 27, was hitting just .238 (24-for-101) with two home runs, 14 RBI, and seven runs scored in 26 games for the Astros at the time of his injury in early May, but he will have value in single-catcher fantasy leagues when he returns. The Dominican native has reached the 20-homer mark in two of the last three seasons since becoming the Astros' primary backstop, and he has also driven in at least 60 runs over that span. Consider stashing him now if you need help at the position. Diaz is rostered in only 42% of Yahoo leagues right now.

Jun 4

Josh Hader • RP • Astros

Josh Hader Perfect in First Save, Immediately Holding Elite Fantasy Upside

Houston Astros relief pitcher Josh Hader made his long-awaited season debut on Wednesday after dealing with shoulder and biceps issues through the first two months of the season. Hader stepped right back into his closer role for Houston and worked a hitless ninth inning for a save against the Pirates. He did walk a batter and also picked up a strikeout to preserve the 11-9 victory. Hader had a 4.15 ERA in his nine rehab appearances with 11 strikeouts in 8 2/3 innings. His stuff looked sharp on Wednesday, and he'll take back over as the primary closer, leaving Bryan King, Enyel De Los Santos, and Bryan Abreu without much fantasy value in standard leagues. For as long as he's healthy, Hader has plenty of upside and can be counted on as an elite closer now that he's back.

Jun 4

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