Houston Astros Roster
- AL West
- Stadium
- Minute Maid Park
Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman will be batting cleanup on Opening Day as he faces southpaw Nestor Cortes and the New York Yankees. Bregman was a popular target in drafts this offseason with an ADP of 59.0. The 29-year-old has been a staple in the Houston lineup for several seasons and should once again be counted on to produce as a strong source of counting stats and great on-base skills. Bregman is an excellent play in DFS, as he should see ample opportunities to be on the score sheet.
Left-handed reliever Parker Mushinski has made the Houston Astros' Opening Day roster out of spring training, according to a source. The 28-year-old southpaw was drafted by the Astros in the seventh round in 2017 out of Texas Tech. In his first two years in the majors with the club, he's posted a 4.91 ERA (5.71 FIP) and 1.41 WHIP with seven walks and 23 strikeouts in 22 innings out of the bullpen. He'll be the team's third left-handed reliever, joining All-Star closer Josh Hader and Bennett Sousa. Mushinski is hoping to take a step forward in his third major-league campaign in 2024 after throwing nine scoreless innings while walking five and striking out 10 in the Grapefruit League this spring. You can ignore him in all fantasy leagues.
Houston Astros manager Joe Espada said he told right-hander Ronel Blanco in the dugout after his outing on Tuesday against Triple-A Sugar Land that he has won a starting rotation spot to open the regular season. Blanco's performance on Tuesday (10 strikeouts over 4 2/3 innings) convinced Espada apparently. The 30-year-old Dominican hurler will grab the team's final rotation spot with both Justin Verlander (shoulder) and Jose Urquidy (forearm) starting the year on the injured list. Blanco will have at least several turns through the rotation to prove himself after going 2-1 with a 4.50 ERA (5.99 FIP) and 1.48 WHIP with 28 walks and 52 strikeouts in 52 innings over 17 appearances (seven starts) for Houston a year ago. He had a 4.74 ERA and 1.37 WHIP as a starter and will only be worth a flier in AL-only fantasy leagues.
Houston Astros pitcher Ronel Blanco capped off a great spring in Tuesday's 7-3 exhibition game win over Triple-A Sugarland. Blanco pitched 4 1/3 innings, allowing one run on two hits (including a solo home run) and two walks with 10 strikeouts. While it may not have been against big-league competition, it was another strong outing for the 30-year-old, who pitched 15 2/3 scoreless Cactus League innings this spring with 18 strikeouts. He had some fantasy streaming appeal last season and could start this season in the rotation for the Astros given his performance and injuries on the team. He will need to prove he can deliver consistently, but Blanco could be worth a look in favorable matchups if he can carry his strong spring into the regular season.
Houston Astros right-hander Justin Verlander (shoulder) threw two simulated innings (32 pitches) during his live batting practice session on Tuesday and sat at 92-94 mph and touched 95 mph on the stadium radar gun in his first inning at Minute Maid Park. Manager Joe Espada said on Monday that if all goes well with Verlander's session on Tuesday, his next step will be starting a minor-league rehab assignment. The 41-year-old veteran said he felt good on Tuesday and wants to build up his pitch count to 85 before making his 2024 debut for the Astros. Houston isn't going to rush the process, so fantasy managers that have Verlander stashed for rotation depth this year shouldn't be surprised if he doesn't make his season debut until May.