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Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman (quad) said he expects to begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Sugar Land within "the next day or two," according to Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle. Bregman has been sidelined for nearly a month and a half now with a strained quadriceps, and he had reportedly been close to a rehab assignment earlier this month but so far has not begun one. Hopefully Bregman will actually get to start the rehab assignment this week, as managers anxiously await the return of his bat to their lineup after his start to the season where he's hitting .275 with a .787 OPS, seven homers, 34 RBI and 37 runs scored across 59 games.
Houston Astros catcher Jason Castro will get the start behind the plate against the Rangers on Friday. The backup backstop will get call as Martin Maldonado gets the night off but is only 6-for-36 (.167) over his last 15 games played. The Astros potent offensive lineup will face Rangers left-handed starter Kolby Allard on Friday and Castro is slashing only .219/.342/.375 against lefties. There are plenty of great options for DFS teams in the Astros lineup but Castro is not one of those choices for Friday's action.
Houston Astros outfielder Myles Straw will start and bat seventh Friday night against the Rangers. Straw enjoyed a solid stretch of offensive production, slashing .330/.413/.432 over the course of 88 at-bats in the month of June. But Straw has come back down to earth, going 3-for-23 (.130) since July 9. Straw has carved out a nice role in a potent offense but there are plenty of Astros hitters to choose from before Straw deserves a spot in DFS lineups.
Houston Astros outfielder Kyle Tucker will head into Friday's action against the Rangers slugging .808 over his last seven games. Over his last 46 at-bats, Tucker is slashing .326/.354/.696 with four home runs, five doubles and seven runs batted in over his last 13 games. The Rangers will send a left-handed starter to the mound on Friday but DFS lineups should not be afraid of starting Tucker. The 24-year-old is hitting only .235 against lefties but has been fantastic at Minute Maid Park, slashing .327/.380/.636 with 11 home runs and 15 doubles through 44 home games.
Houston Astros shortstop Carlos Correa will try and shake loose from a 1-for-25 offensive rut heading into Friday's action against the Rangers. Correa is having a fantastic offensive year and is an impending free agent at season's end. At the All-Star break, the 26-year-old was slashing .288/.385/.510 with 16 home runs, 20 doubles and 52 runs batted in. But Correa is 5-for-43 (.116) over his last 12 games and has been dropped to fifth in the batting order for Friday's matchup. Correa should be able to work through his struggles but DFS lineups should avoid him for a few days until there is a glimmer of production.