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AL Notes: Naylor, Chisholm Jr., Altuve, Cowser

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Mariners first baseman Josh Naylor was removed from Friday’s 3-2 loss to the Dodgers due to groin tightness, according to Daniel Kramer of MLB.com. Manager Dan Wilson described the move as precautionary, which is quite a relief for M’s fans as they gear up for the postseason. Naylor has been one of the team’s best hitters since being acquired from the Diamondbacks in July, batting .299/.341/.490 triple in 54 games with his new club. He has also been a positive on defense, posting five Defensive Runs Saved and three Outs Above Average at first base.

It makes sense for Seattle to play it safe with Naylor’s health. The team has already clinched the No. 2 playoff seed in the American League, which gives them a first-round bye through the Wild Card Series. Their first game is set for Saturday, October 4, against either the Guardians or the Tigers. With a week off until then, the club wants to make sure Naylor is at full strength for what will hopefully be a deep postseason run.

Some more notes from around the Junior Circuit…

  • Initial x-rays on Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. were negative, and he is set to undergo a CT scan as well, according to Erik Boland of Newsday. Chisholm was removed from yesterday’s 6-1 victory over the Orioles after being hit by a pitch in the fifth inning. The 27-year-old is having a great year for New York, posting a .243/.333/.482 triple slash that rates as 27% better than league average by wRC+ while continuing to provide good defense at the keystone. Heading into their final regular season game, the Yankees are tied with the Blue Jays for first place in the AL East, although they have clinched a postseason spot regardless. With that in mind, the club may give Chisholm the day off to rest up before a potential Wild Card Series on Tuesday.
  • Astros second baseman Jose Altuve told Chandler Rome of the Athletic that his right foot injury “is pretty painful,” adding that he “had no choice but to go out there and play.” Houston had been fighting for the last AL Wild Card spot recently, but with the Guardians defeating the Rangers 3-2 yesterday, the Astros were eliminated from postseason contention. Altuve has hit .265/.329/.442 in his age-35 season, good for a 113 wRC+, but his defense has graded out poorly. In addition to 66 games at the keystone with -8 DRS, he has also spent significant time in left field, earning -10 DRS in 47 games there. According to Rome, Altuve will meet with doctors to discuss his next steps, though it is unclear if surgery is on the table.
  • Orioles outfielder Colton Cowser played through two broken ribs which he incurred back in June, according to Andy Kostka of the Baltimore Banner. The 25-year-old previously missed time due to a thumb fracture as well as a concussion. Regarding this additional injury, he explained that even though he felt good enough to play, he was “still trying to find [his] way back” performance-wise. In 91 games this year, Cowser has batted just .198/.272/.390 with an 85 wRC+, with the injuries undoubtedly affecting his performance. Baltimore is out of postseason contention, so Cowser will look toward the offseason to get back to full strength in order to help his team in 2026.

Astros Place Jake Meyers On Injured List, Designate Nick Hernandez

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The Astros are placing center fielder Jake Meyers on the 10-day injured list, relays Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. Rookie infielder Brice Matthews was recalled to take his spot on the active roster. Meyers is dealing with right calf soreness. Houston also reinstated Lance McCullers Jr. from the 15-day IL and designated Nick Hernandez for assignment to open a spot in the bullpen.

Meyers’ injury is the latest hit to a Houston team whose playoff hopes are on life support. The Tigers beat the Red Sox this afternoon to clinch a playoff spot. The Astros are down to one path to October. They need to win their final two games in Anaheim and count on the Rangers to beat the Guardians twice in Cleveland. They may already know their fate by the time tonight’s game opens at 8:38 pm Central. Cleveland’s game is already underway, and they’re tied 2-2 in the bottom of the fifth at the time of this writing.

If the Astros find a way to sneak into the playoffs, they’d need to play at least the first round without their starting center fielder. Meyers wouldn’t be eligible to return until Game 2 of the Division Series. It’s the second calf-related IL stint of the season for the right-handed hitter. Meyers strained the same muscle before the All-Star Break and didn’t return to the big league club until September 6.

Meyers has had arguably the best season of his career when he’s been healthy. He’ll finish the regular season with a .292/.354/.373 batting line with three homers and 16 stolen bases in 104 games. Meyers has been a fantastic defensive outfielder throughout his career. He hadn’t been much of an offensive threat over his first three-plus seasons. This year’s average and on-base percentage are easily personal highs.

Houston has now lost three regulars within the past two weeks. Yordan Alvarez sprained his ankle and won’t be back this weekend. Jeremy Peña hasn’t played in a week due to an oblique strain. He’s out of the lineup again tonight. Zach Cole replaces Meyers in center field, drawing Taylor Trammell into the lineup in left. Mauricio Dubón is in at shortstop for Peña.

McCullers is back from a minimal IL stay related to hand soreness. The former All-Star starter has been relegated to the bullpen and owns a 6.71 ERA over 52 1/3 innings around a trio of injured list stints. His return comes at Hernandez’s expense. Houston did not need to create a 40-man roster spot but had already optioned Hernandez five times over the course of the season. That’s the maximum under the terms of the 2022 collective bargaining agreement, so the Astros will need to run him through waivers to send him down again.

Houston acquired Hernandez in a minor league trade with the Padres last June. They called him up a day later and have used him as an up-and-down reliever since then. The 30-year-old righty has pitched 10 times this season. He has allowed six runs in 10 2/3 innings, striking out 11 while issuing eight walks. He pitched well during his various Triple-A stints, turning in a 2.12 earned run average while striking out a third of opponents across 46 2/3 innings.

Hernandez has below-average velocity. His fastball averages around 91 MPH and he leans equally heavily on a low-80s slider. It’s not eye-popping stuff, but he has gotten swinging strikes on more than 13% of his offerings at the big league level. Triple-A hitters whiffed more than 16% of the time. That could be enough for a team to grab him off waivers. While Houston maxed out their five options within a season, Hernandez has one option year remaining after this one. A claiming team could send him back to Triple-A next season if they’re willing to keep him on the 40-man roster all winter.

Yordan Alvarez Won’t Return During Regular Season

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Friday marked the first day Yordan Alvarez was eligible to be activated off the Astros’ 10-day injured list, but manager Joe Espada instead closed the door on Alvarez’s participation in the team’s final series.  Espada told the Houston Chronicle’s Matt Kawahara and other reporters that Alvarez will remain on the IL for the remainder of the regular season, though it is still possible Alvarez could return for the playoffs if Houston makes the bracket.

Should the Astros sneak into the postseason, the first game of their Wild Card Series is set for Tuesday.  That would seemingly still allow little time for Alvarez to be game-ready, as he hadn’t yet started any hitting or running drills as of late Wednesday.  Espada indicated that Alvarez was showing improvement since Wednesday but “as much as he’s [progressed] the last two or three days, I just don’t think that it would be the best for him to be able to come here and play.  We’re just not there.”

Alvarez suffered a left ankle sprain on September 15 while scoring a run in the Astros’ 6-3 win over the Rangers.  There was immediate concern that the injury could be season-ending, though Alvarez raised some hope last weekend about the potential of returning for this closing series with the Angels.  Given the import of these final two games, it is safe to assume that Alvarez would be playing if he was at all physically able, as his absence creates yet another problem for the struggling Astros.

A 1-6 record in their last seven games has pushed Houston under the playoff line, as the Astros are a game behind the Tigers for the final AL wild card slot.  Houston loses tiebreakers to both Detroit and Cleveland, so the Astros will need to win both of their remaining two games and hope that at least one of the Tigers or Guardians lose both their remaining games in order for Houston to reach the playoffs.

Between this ankle sprain and a hand injury that was eventually revealed as a finger fracture, Alvarez played in only 48 games this season.  After missing the better part of four months on the IL, Alvarez hit well after returning to action in late August, and brought his season numbers up to .273/.367/.430 and six homers over 199 plate appearances.  This 118 wRC+ is respectable, yet a far cry from the spectacular 166 wRC+ Alvarez posted across his first six Major League seasons.

Alvarez’s injury was one of many notable absences faced by the Astros this year, and yet it wasn’t until this past week that the club finally seemed to wilt from such an overloaded IL.  To add another setback, Jake Meyers was a late scratch from Friday’s game due to right calf soreness, costing Houston another regular in a 4-3 loss to the Angels.

Jeremy Pena Dealing With Oblique Strain

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Imaging has revealed a left oblique strain for Jeremy Pena, the shortstop told reporters on Thursday. Chandler Rome of The Athletic was among those to relay the update. Pena had been out of the lineup for the past four games. He was initially in Sunday’s starting nine before being scratched due to the injury. Houston was swept at home by Seattle and has dropped the first two games of the series against the Athletics.

Just a few days after GM Dana Brown said Pena’s oblique injury “could be just a two-day thing,” Pena is now facing what could be an extended absence. While no roster move has been made regarding Pena, oblique injury timelines are typically measured in weeks, not days. It’s the second time this season that Pena has dealt with a left side issue, as he missed 27 games with a broken left rib.

It’s brutal news for a Houston team that just lost Yordan Alvarez to an ankle sprain. The Astros ceded their spot atop the AL West over the weekend and are now in danger of missing the postseason altogether. They entered Thursday’s action one game behind the Tigers for the final AL Wild Card spot. Given that the season is hanging by a thread, perhaps there would be some temptation to put Pena out there even when he’s not 100%. However, they are also doing that with Isaac Paredes, who was rushed back from a hamstring injury and is using the designated hitter spot at the moment.

The oblique injury could cut short a breakout 2025 campaign for Pena. The 28-year-old posted a healthy 135 wRC+ while slashing .304/.363/.477. He matched a career high with 20 steals. Pena’s 17 home runs fell short of the 22 he hit as a rookie, but he exceeded his total from 2024 in 107 fewer plate appearances. It was quite the bounce-back season after Pena put up below league-average offensive numbers the past two seasons. He equaled his career-best strikeout rate from 2024 at 17.1%, while pushing his hard-hit rate up over 40% for the first time, per Statcast. Pena was able to combine the improved plate discipline from 2024 with the power he showed in his debut MLB season, turning him into one of Houston’s most potent offensive threats.

The Astros have turned to Mauricio Dubon at shortstop for three of the four games without Pena. Carlos Correa slid over from third base to cover the spot on Wednesday. He certainly has plenty of experience playing up the middle for Houston. The versatile Ramon Urias is also an option at shortstop, though he hasn’t appeared in a big-league game at the position since 2022. It’s hard to imagine any of the potential replacements matching Pena’s offensive prowess, but Dubon is at least a viable defensive fit. While Pena had an excellent defensive season, ranking seventh among shortstops in Outs Above Average, Dubon is actually eighth on that list.

MLBTR Podcast: The Tigers And Astros Try To Hang On, And Brewers’ Rotation Issues

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The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.

This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…

Plus, we answer your questions, including…

  • Why do people keep suggesting the Cardinals trade Brendan Donovan? (30:25)
  • Who will the Phillies re-sign out of their impending free agents? (41:00)
  • What was the revenue sharing for each club last year? (48:00)

Check out our past episodes!

The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff.  Check out their Facebook page here!

Photo courtesy of Jim Rassol, Imagn Images

Astros’ Luis Garcia Will Miss 2026 Season Due To Elbow Surgery

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Astros right-hander Luis Garcia will have some sort of elbow surgery and miss the entire 2026 season. Manager Joe Espada relayed the info to reporters, including Chandler Rome of The Athletic.

It’s a devastating blow for Garcia, who has already had a rough go of it in recent years. He has hardly pitched at all since the 2022 season. He made just six starts in 2023 before requiring Tommy John surgery. His attempts to return to the mound in 2024 repeatedly hit setbacks and he ended up missing that entire season.

He still wasn’t healthy to begin 2025 and he repeatedly hit more setbacks. He finally made it off the injured list in September. His first big league start in over two years went quite well, as he allowed three runs over six innings against the Angels. But in his second start, he didn’t make it out of the second frame. Facing the Blue Jays in Toronto, he called for the trainers and quickly departed. He was then placed on the 15-day IL due to elbow discomfort. He was transferred to the 60-day IL a few days later.

Given all the stops and starts of the past few years, it’s not especially surprising that something is amiss. Espada didn’t provide any specifics about what kind of surgery Garcia will require, but the fact that the procedure will wipe out his 2026 points to another ulnar collateral ligament operation. More details will likely be revealed after the procedure takes place.

The big question now is what’s over the horizon. By the time the 2026 campaign is done, Garcia will have essentially missed four seasons. Even if he does eventually get back to something resembling full health, there will be natural workload concerns after so much missed time.

Garcia is currently in his second arbitration season. He made $1.875MM both last year and this year. He can be retained via arbitration for 2026 but he’ll be non-tendered now that he’s going to miss the entire season.

Once he becomes a free agent, it’s possible that some club will sign him to a two-year deal. Such pacts are common for players rehabbing from notable surgeries. With such arrangements, the player get to bank some money while rehabbing. The signing team knows it won’t get anything in the first year of the deal but hopes that the investment pays off in the second season. Garcia does have a decent track record in the big leagues, with a 3.60 earned run average in 359 2/3 innings, but the exhausting extent of his recent time in the wilderness will surely make clubs hesitant to put money on him.

For the Astros, they already knew they weren’t getting anything out of Garcia this year, given that he was quickly put on the 60-day IL a few weeks ago. They probably didn’t have too much hope for him in 2026 but he’s now officially ruled out of next year’s plans as well.

They are about to lose Framber Valdez to free agency, so their on-paper 2026 rotation consists of Hunter Brown and Cristian Javier, with guys like Jason Alexander, Colton Gordon, AJ Blubaugh, J.P. France and others potentially in the mix. Spencer Arrighetti should have a spot if he’s healthy, though he is currently gathering opinions on his elbow. Ronel Blanco, Hayden Wesneski and Brandon Walter each required Tommy John surgery and will be sidelined into next year.

Photo courtesy of Erik Williams, Imagn Images

Astros’ Brandon Walter Undergoes UCL Surgery

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Astros southpaw Brandon Walter underwent UCL reconstruction surgery yesterday, the team informed reporters (including Chandler Rome of The Athletic). Meanwhile, Ari Alexander reports that southpaw John Rooney had a procedure to remove bone spurs and address tennis elbow.

Houston had announced a couple weeks back that both pitchers were going under the knife. They didn’t provide specifics at the time beyond calling each a season-ending elbow procedure. The news is obviously much worse for Walter, who’ll miss all of next season. Rooney’s surgery is less significant and it doesn’t seem out of the question that he’ll be available for Spring Training.

Walter, 29, had proven a nice pickup on a minor league deal last August. Houston selected his contract at the end of May. Walter picked up nine starts for an injury-riddled rotation. He tossed a quality start in six of those outings, working to a 3.35 earned run average across 53 2/3 innings overall. The former Red Sox prospect punched out a quarter of batters faced against a pristine 1.9% walk rate. Walter overcame pedestrian velocity to get chases and whiffs at slightly above-average rates.

Unfortunately, the injury bug struck again for the 29-year-old. Walter missed the entire 2024 season after suffering a rotator cuff injury while pitching in minor league camp with Boston. That led the Red Sox to release him, paving the way for him to land in Houston. Walter probably showed enough for the Astros to keep him on the 40-man roster throughout the upcoming offseason. They’d be able to place him back on the 60-day injured list at the beginning of Spring Training.

Rooney may have a tougher time sticking on the roster. He was on a minor league deal with the Marlins when Houston acquired him at the beginning of August. Rooney came up for his big league debut in late August. He tossed 1 1/3 innings of one-run ball before suffering the season-ending injury. The 28-year-old reliever combined for a 2.56 ERA over 38 2/3 Triple-A frames this year.

Astros Notes: Pena, Alvarez, Rodgers, Polanco

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6:16PM: During the Astros’ pregame radio show, GM Dana Brown said that Pena’s oblique injury “could be just a two-day thing.  It’s minor based on the initial evaluation of it.”  Pena will still get some testing done out of due diligence. (Hat tip to Chandler Rome).

5:40PM: As the Astros head into a critical matchup with the Mariners tonight, Houston will be without one of its key players for at least this game and perhaps beyond.  Jeremy Pena was included in the initial lineup but has now been scratched due to left oblique soreness, according to an announcement from the team.

Needless to say, losing Pena would be devastating to the Astros’ chances of winning the AL West, or even making the postseason given how the standings have narrowed.  The Astros trail Seattle by two games in the division race after losing the first two games of this weekend series, and another loss tonight would put Houston out of the playoff picture entirely, as the surging Guardians would have a matching 84-72 record and the tiebreaker edge.

Because the Astros don’t play on Monday, it provides some extra time to evaluate Pena’s condition.  If it is just a matter of soreness and tonight’s scratch was more of a precautionary move, it’s possible the shortstop could be back in action as soon as Tuesday.  Oblique issues are notoriously hard to project, however, so even if Pena remains short of an actual oblique strain, there might still be enough discomfort that the Astros don’t want to risk putting him into a game.

Pena is having the best of his four Major League seasons, hitting .304/.363/.477 with 17 homers and 20 steals (in 22 attempts) over 543 plate appearances.  Each of those slash categories is a new career high for Pena, and he has also matched his personal best in stolen bases.  Between his big numbers and excellent defense, Pena has been worth 5.7 fWAR this season, even though he missed all of July recovering from a rib fracture.

Injuries have been the biggest problem of Houston’s season, as it is rather remarkable that the Astros are still in the race given how many key players have missed substantial amounts of time.  Yordan Alvarez is one of those figures, as the slugger has been limited to 48 games due to a hand injury that included a finger fracture, and most recently a sprained ankle that sent him back to the IL on September 16.

Alvarez provided media (including the Houston Chronicle’s Matt Kawahara) with an update on his status today, saying that he has yet to begin baseball activities since the inflammation in his ankle hasn’t fully settled.  On the plus side, Alvarez is no longer wearing a protective boot, and he feels he is healing a little quicker than expected.  In the absolutely best case scenario, Alvarez would be eligible to be activated off the IL on Friday, when the Astros visit the Angels in the opener of their final series of the year.

One player who won’t be an option is Brendan Rodgers, as manager Joe Espada confirmed to MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart and other reporters that Rodgers’ season is officially over.  The news is no surprise, as Rodgers hasn’t played in a big league game since June 14.  Initially sidelined by an oblique strain, Rodgers suffered a concussion and a nasal fracture after an on-field collision in his first minor league rehab game in July.  He returned to play one more minors game in August but was then sidelined by back problems.

Signed to a minor league deal in February, Rodgers made the Opening Day roster, and thus locked in a $2MM salary for the 2025 season.  He hit .191/.266/.278 over 128 PA and 43 games before his injuries prematurely ended his season, and Rodgers will surely have to settle for another minor league contract with Houston or another club this winter.

Rodgers was brought aboard to add second base depth due to Jose Altuve’s planned move to left field, and he may have been a fallback plan after Houston missed on signing Jorge Polanco.  The Astros were the runners-up to the Mariners in signing Polanco, as the veteran infielder told Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times that Houston was “very close.  They made a good offer, but Seattle came back with a better offer.”

The Mariners were also given the chance to counter, as Divish writes that Polanco’s agent gave Seattle a last chance to top the Astros’ offer.  The end result was a one-year, $7.75MM guarantee plus a mutual option for 2026 that has now vested into a player option.  Missing out on Polanco might well end up being the difference for the Astros in the AL West race, as Polanco rebounded in a huge way from a lackluster 2024 season to hit .265/.325/.489 with 24 homers for the M’s this year.

Astros Place Yordan Alvarez On Injured List

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The Astros have placed outfielder/designated hitter Yordan Alvarez on the 10-day injured list with a left ankle sprain, per Chandler Rome of The Athletic, retroactive to September 16th. That open an active roster spot for infielder Isaac Paredes. It was reported earlier that Paredes would be reinstated from the 60-day IL. To open a 40-man spot for Paredes, reliever Kaleb Ort has been transferred to the 60-day IL.

Earlier this week, Alvarez slipped on home plate while coming around to score a run against the Rangers, as seen in this video from MLB.com. After the game, manager Joe Espada said Alvarez would be going for an MRI and Alvarez was seen in a walking boot and on crutches. The next day, Espada described the injury as “pretty significant” and that Alvarez would be “out for a while.”

The Astros didn’t initially place Alvarez on the IL as they waited to evaluate his progress, but now have decided to do so. IL placements can be backdated by three days, so Alvarez can be reinstated in a week.

It’s unclear if the injury will actually allow that to be a real possibility, however, making it a situation to watch going forward. Alvarez has been one of the best hitters alive in recent years. He slumped earlier this year but it was later revealed he had an undiagnosed finger fracture. He spent some time on the IL healing up and seemed to be back to his old self once he returned. He slashed .369/.462/.569 in 78 plate appearances between that previous IL stint and this new one.

Losing that kind of bat is obviously less than ideal for the Astros, especially when they are still playing meaningful games. They are tied with the Mariners for the West division lead and the two clubs begin an incredibly important series against each other tonight. If the Astros lose that series and fall back of the M’s, they would still be in possession of a Wild Card spot, but that would put them at risk of missing the playoffs completely. The Guardians are the top team outside the postseason spots right now and they are only 2.5 games back of Houston.

Even if the Astros hang on and make it to October, they will be hamstrung unless Alvarez can make it back. In the event he can return to the club for the final days of the regular season or in the postseason, it could create a bit of a lineup clog. Paredes is coming back after a lengthy injury absence of his own due to a hamstring strain. He has been taking batting practice lately but hasn’t played any rehab games. He’s serving as the designated hitter tonight but it’s unclear if the Astros have any intention of having him play the field in the coming weeks.

Getting Alvarez back to a state of semi-health where he can hit would be great, though it’s less than perfect if both he and Paredes are in that bucket. That would mean one of them would have to sit or be forced into the field each day. Jose Altuve is also ideally suited for a DH role these days since his glovework isn’t great anywhere, but he’ll have to be out there in the field somewhere if Paredes or Alvarez are in the DH spot going forward.

As for Ort, this transfer definitively ends his season. He landed on the 15-day IL in early September due to right elbow inflammation. It was reported shortly thereafter that he wasn’t likely to return during the regular season. This transfer also wipes out any chance of him appearing in the postseason, even if the Astros make a deep run. He finishes the year with a 4.89 earned run average in 46 innings. He can be retained for four more years after this one but is out of options and may be on the roster bubble this winter, given his mediocre results this year and uncertain health status.

Photo courtesy of Erik Williams, Imagn Images

Astros To Activate Isaac Paredes

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The Astros expect to reinstate infielder Isaac Paredes from the injured list prior to tonight’s pivotal series opener against the Mariners, reports Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. The 26-year-old slugger has been out since July 19 due to a significant hamstring strain. He’s on the 60-day injured list, so the ’Stros will need to open a spot on the 40-man roster to make Paredes’ return official.

Paredes, 26, came to Houston as part of the offseason Kyle Tucker blockbuster with the Cubs. His pull-heavy, flyball approach has proven a perfect match with Houston’s Daikin Park. Through his first 94 games and 409 plate appearances as an Astro, the righty-swinging Paredes has slashed .259/.359/.470 with 19 homers. However, while Paredes has performed better at home, it’d be unfair to use his strong season to suggest he’s simply a product of the short left-field porch in Houston. Ten of those 19 round-trippers have come at home, where he’s slashed .253/.360/.483, but Paredes has been nearly as good on the road, hitting .266/.359/.457.

There’s some risk in the accelerated return to the lineup. General manager Dana Brown earlier this week said there was only an “outside chance” that Paredes could return this weekend. He’s taken live batting practice but hasn’t played in a single minor league rehab game. However, Yordan Alvarez recently suffered a significant ankle sprain that’s kept him out of the lineup since Sept. 15 and seems to have relegated him to a bench/pinch-hitting role for the time being. Houston hasn’t placed Alvarez on the injured list, but manager Joe Espada said earlier this week that he’ll be “out for a while” after an MRI revealed the sprain.

Given that ill-timed Alvarez injury, it seems the Astros are rolling the dice on another of their best bats being healthy enough to contribute in a series that could determine the outcome of the AL West. The Astros and Mariners are tied with identical 84-69 records heading into this three-game set in Houston. The deadline reacquisition of Carlos Correa — paired with that Alvarez injury — seems to suggest that Paredes will be a DH option for the time being. Scorching-hot Jeremy Pena will hold things down at shortstop, while Correa will handle a hot corner that had previously been manned by Paredes.

While Paredes does have some limited experience at second base, it’s hard to imagine Houston throwing him into a position he hasn’t played all season at a time when his hamstring likely isn’t 100% healthy. And with Christian Walker entrenched at first base, there aren’t many other options for Paredes beyond designated hitter. That’s probably for the best anyhow, given his murky health status. Paredes and the Astros will square off against a formidable trio of Seattle righties this weekend, taking on Bryan Woo, George Kirby and Logan Gilbert (in that order).

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