Houston Astros Roster
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Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve is not in the team's starting lineup on Wednesday against the Minnesota Twins. After starting the team's last six games, the veteran 33-year-old will get a breather. Altuve has only played in nine contests because of a fractured thumb he suffered while playing in the World Baseball Classic, but he's knocked off the rust rather well by hitting .324 (11-for-34) with three doubles, two home runs, six RBI and seven runs scored in 40 plate appearances. Be prepared to put him back into your starting lineups on Thursday for the start of a series against the Los Angeles Angels. With Altuve out, Mauricio Dubon is at the keystone and is hitting leadoff for the 'Stros against Twins right-hander Louie Varland.
Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI in the Astros' 5-1 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday night. Bregman bounced back in May with a .262 average and four home runs after hitting just .219 with three home runs in April. He's certainly perked up a bit at the plate lately with four multi-hit efforts in his last eight contests. Bregman has walked 28 times this season compared to just 25 strikeouts. It's that plate discipline that carries his fantasy profile these days, as he's more of a .265 hitter with 25 home runs than the .290 hitter with at least 30 home runs that we saw when he was at his peak.
Houston Astros closer Ryan Pressly blew his first save of the season in Monday's 7-5 extra-innings loss to the Twins. Pressly came on to pitch the ninth inning up by one. He got the first out on a strikeout, allowed a single, got the second out on a strikeout, allowed a walk, allowed the game-tying RBI single, and got the third out on a groundout. The 34-year-old has been a consistent fantasy option once again this season despite this stumble, converting 10 of 11 save opportunities with a 3.22 ERA and a 9.67 K/9 rate.
Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve made his only hit count in Monday's 7-5 extra-innings loss to the Twins, going 1-for-4 with a seventh-inning grand slam, a walk, and a strikeout. The 33-year-old has now homered in back-to-back games and owns a .355/.444/.645 slash line in his first eight games. Fantasy managers will be glad to see him not only back with the Astros, but getting off to a hot start.
Houston Astros starting pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. (forearm) is no longer throwing off a mound in his rehab, according to manager Dusty Baker. "We have to take it slow with Lance until we know that he's 100 percent. That's where it is right now," Baker said. The Astros have backed off McCullers after he began throwing bullpen sessions in early May. Fantasy managers were hoping that the 29-year-old right-hander would make his season debut around the All-Star break, but with this setback, that's unlikely to happen now. McCullers deserves to be stashed in most fantasy leagues, but managers are probably starting to run thin on patience. He made only eight starts in 2022, but he also posted a sharp 2.27 ERA (3.49 FIP), 1.24 WHIP and 50 strikeouts in 47 2/3 innings pitched.
