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Carlos Correa Carlos Correa Will shift to SS if Pena not ready
Fri, Mar 6, 2026, 12:45 PM
Astros manager Joe Espada said Friday on Foul Territory that Correa (neck) would move to shortstop if Jeremy Pena (finger) isn't available Opening Day.
Analysis: Pena's status for the opener hasn't been determined yet, as he will have his fractured right ring finger reevaluated in two weeks. If Pena requires a trip to the injured list, Correa will slide over to his familiar shortstop position and Isaac Paredes will be installed at third base. Correa is dealing with a minor injury of his own, having been scratched from Friday's Grapefruit League lineup with a stiff neck, but he's day-to-day. |
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Isaac Paredes Isaac Paredes Would start at 3B if Pena is out
Fri, Mar 6, 2026, 12:38 PM
Astros manager Joe Espada said Friday on Foul Territory that, if Jeremy Pena (finger) isn't ready for Opening Day, Carlos Correa (neck) would shift to shortstop and Paredes would start at third base.
Analysis: Pena has been diagnosed with a fracture in the tip of his right ring finger and will be reevaluated in two weeks before it's known whether he has a chance to be ready for the opener. Paredes doesn't have a clear path to a starting job when the Astros' crowded infield is healthy, but Pena's injury could open the door to everyday playing time for Paredes, at least on a temporary basis. |
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Carlos Correa Carlos Correa Scratched with neck stiffness
Fri, Mar 6, 2026, 8:57 AM
Correa was scratched from Friday's Grapefruit League lineup versus the Nationals due to stiffness on the right side of his neck, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Analysis: Astros manager Joe Espada said of Correa that "we'll see how he feels tomorrow," so it's fair to call the veteran infielder day-to-day for now. Correa had been slated to start at third base Friday, but he is a candidate to slide over to shortstop if Jeremy Pena (finger) isn't ready for Opening Day. |
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Jeremy Pena Jeremy Pena Diagnosed with fracture
Thu, Mar 5, 2026, 2:08 PM
Pena was diagnosed with a fracture in the tip of his right ring finger Thursday, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Analysis: Pena suffered the injury while playing in a World Baseball Classic exhibition game for Team Dominican Republic on Wednesday. He will now miss the WBC, but his status for Opening Day will depend on how he checks out during his re-evaluation in two weeks. If the 28-year-old ends up missing the first portion of the regular season, Nick Allen could step in to start at shortstop for the Astros, or perhaps Carlos Correa could shift back to short. |
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Cavan Biggio Cavan Biggio Nearing game action
Thu, Mar 5, 2026, 9:10 AM
Biggio (elbow) could make his Grapefruit League debut next week, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
Analysis: Biggio has been slow-played this spring as he works his way back from offseason arthroscopic surgery on his right elbow. The utility player is in camp as a non-roster invitee and his delayed start this spring seemingly eliminates any chance he had to make the Opening Day roster. |
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Enyel De Los Santos Enyel De Los Santos Making spring debut next week
Thu, Mar 5, 2026, 9:07 AM
De Los Santos (knee) will make his Grapefruit League debut next week, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
Analysis: The right-handed reliever has been shelved by a right knee strain since the start of camp, but he will progress to mound work Saturday before being slotted into game action. Barring setbacks, De Los Santos is expected to have enough time to prep for Opening Day. |
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Josh Hader Josh Hader Slated for mound work next week
Thu, Mar 5, 2026, 9:05 AM
Hader (biceps) will throw a bullpen session early next week, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
Analysis: Hader developed left biceps inflammation before reporting to Astros camp and has been limited to flat-ground work since then. He also missed the final seven-plus weeks of last season with a left shoulder strain, so he hasn't pitched in a game setting since early August of last year. Hader is unlikely to have time to ramp up for Opening Day, setting up Bryan Abreu to serve as the Astros' early-season closer. |
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Miguel Ullola Miguel Ullola Dropped from big-league camp
Thu, Mar 5, 2026, 9:02 AM
The Astros optioned Ullola to minor-league camp Thursday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
Analysis: Ullola was added to the 40-man roster this offseason, but he was always destined for Triple-A Sugar Land to begin the season. The right-hander should open 2026 in Sugar Land's rotation, but a career 15.6 percent walk rate in the minors could point to an eventual move to the bullpen if he can't harness his control. |
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Colton Gordon Colton Gordon Optioned to minors camp
Thu, Mar 5, 2026, 8:59 AM
The Astros optioned Gordon to minor-league camp Thursday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
Analysis: Gordon has yielded just one run in 5.1 innings this spring but has also posted an underwhelming 2:3 K:BB. The left-hander will be part of the Triple-A Sugar Land rotation to begin the 2026 campaign. |
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Jeremy Pena Jeremy Pena Seeing hand specialist Thursday
Thu, Mar 5, 2026, 8:55 AM
Pena (finger) will visit a hand specialist Thursday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
Analysis: Pena took a grounder off his right ring finger during Wednesday's World Baseball Classic exhibition game against the Tigers and underwent X-rays, which will be examined by the specialist Thursday. The shortstop also suffered an injury to his fingernail as a result of the incident, though Astros manager Joe Espada said that Pena was unconcerned and wanted to remain in the game. Houston is expected to provide more details on Pena's condition later Thursday. |
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Jeremy Pena Jeremy Pena Injures finger, undergoing tests
Wed, Mar 4, 2026, 6:28 PM
Astros general manager Dana Brown told reporters Wednesday that Pena took a ground ball to his fingertip and will undergo X-rays Thursday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
Analysis: Per Dylan Delgatto of SportingNews, Pena suffered a small fracture in his finger during Wednesday's World Baseball Classic exhibition game against the Tigers, and the injury puts him in jeopardy of missing at least the first round of the WBC. Pena will undergo further tests to determine the severity of the injury and whether he is in danger of missing more time, potentially for the start of the MLB regular season. If he were to be sidelined for an extended period of time, then the Astros could turn to Nick Allen to takeover at shortstop or move Carlos Correa from third base and have Isaac Paredes serve at the hot corner. |
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Josh Hader Josh Hader Could throw off mound next week
Tue, Mar 3, 2026, 2:01 PM
Astros manager Joe Espada said Tuesday that Hader (biceps) could throw a bullpen session next week, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Analysis: Hader has been limited to flat-ground work since he came down with left biceps inflammation just before the start of Astros camp. He is not expected to be ready for Opening Day, as Hader needs time to ramp things back up before being game-ready. Hader has not pitched in a game setting since early August of last year, as he missed the final seven-plus weeks of the season with a left shoulder strain. Bryan Abreu is lined up to serve as Houston's closer at the beginning of the season. |
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Enyel De Los Santos Enyel De Los Santos Cleared for mound work
Tue, Mar 3, 2026, 1:55 PM
De Los Santos (knee) will throw a bullpen session Wednesday, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Analysis: It will be his first time throwing off the mound since he suffered a right knee strain at the start of Astros camp. De Los Santos should have enough time to prepare for Opening Day if all goes well from here on out. He's slated for a middle-relief role in Houston. |
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Nate Pearson Nate Pearson Throwing paused due to sore elbow
Tue, Mar 3, 2026, 1:53 PM
Astros manager Joe Espada said Tuesday that the team will "slow down" Pearson's throwing program after the pitcher felt soreness in his surgically repaired right elbow during his last bullpen session, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Analysis: Pearson had arthroscopic surgery in his pitching elbow over the offseason and had been ramping up slowly in Astros camp. It was already likely that Pearson would begin the season on the injured list, and now it should be a given. Houston signed Pearson with the thought that he'd be stretched back out as a starting pitcher, but his health and role are now in question. |
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Jake Meyers Jake Meyers Back in action
Mon, Mar 2, 2026, 7:16 AM
Meyers (back) is starting in center field and batting sixth Monday against the Nationals, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
Analysis: He dealt with back spasms over the weekend but is back as expected Monday. Meyers seems like a pretty safe bet to open the year as the Astros' starting center fielder as long as he's healthy. |
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Yordan Alvarez Yordan Alvarez In Monday's lineup
Mon, Mar 2, 2026, 7:13 AM
Alvarez will start at designated hitter and bat second in Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Nationals, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
Analysis: Just as manager Joe Espada had suggested would be the case Sunday, Alvarez will enter the lineup Monday for what will be his spring debut. Alvarez was limited to 48 games last season due to hand and ankle injuries, but when healthy, he's consistently performed as one of the top hitters in the game. Espada has previously referred to Alvarez as the Astros' everyday designated hitter heading into 2026, so the 28-year-old would seem likely to see even less exposure to left field than he has in past seasons as Houston looks to keep him healthy over the course of the campaign. |
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Spencer Arrighetti Spencer Arrighetti Mixed results to start spring
Sun, Mar 1, 2026, 12:23 PM
Arrighetti allowed four runs on three hits and a walk across two innings in Friday's Grapefruit League matchup with Washington. He struck out four.
Analysis: Arrighetti's spring debut started well, as he struck out a pair of Nationals in a scoreless second inning. However, it was a different story in the third, as the right-hander would give up four runs while recording only two outs, punctuated by a Luis Garcia three-run homer. The 26-year-old Arrighetti had an up-and-down 2025, largely due to injuries. After making Houston's Opening Day rotation, he posted a 5.35 ERA with 31 strikeouts across just seven starts (35.1 innings), missing four months with a fractured thumb as well as the final month with an elbow ailment. The acquisitions of Tatsuya Imai, Mike Burrows and Ryan Weiss have complicated Arrighetti's path to a rotation spot, and he's competing with Weiss, AJ Blubaugh and Lance McCullers for one of the Astros' final two starting jobs. |
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Brice Matthews Brice Matthews Strong start to spring
Sun, Mar 1, 2026, 11:46 AM
Matthews went 2-for-2 with an RBI and a stolen base in Saturday's Grapefruit League game versus the Pirates.
Analysis: Matthews has swung the bat well to start the spring, going 4-for-10 with a double and a stolen base in his first four Grapefruit League games. Matthews, a first-round pick in 2023, is primarily an infielder, though he's been getting more work in the outfield this spring in an effort to make the Opening Day roster as a utility piece. Matthews struggled in a brief major-league stint last season, batting just .167 with four homers across 47 plate appearances. However, he put up impressive numbers in 112 games with Triple-A Sugar Land, slashing .260/.371/.458 with 17 homers and 41 stolen bases across 498 plate appearances. |
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Isaac Paredes Isaac Paredes Homers in spring debut
Sun, Mar 1, 2026, 11:35 AM
Paredes went 1-for-2 with a walk and a solo home run in Saturday's Grapefruit League matchup against the Pirates.
Analysis: Paredes started his spring with a bang, launching a homer off Pittsburgh's Bubba Chandler in the fifth inning. There are no doubts about Paredes' power potential -- he's hit 90 home runs over the last four seasons. However, there is a lingering question about where exactly he'll fit in Houston's lineup. Paredes served as the DH on Saturday, a spot expected to be occupied by Yordan Alvarez in the regular season. While his name has swirled in trade rumors for much of the winter, it's starting to appear more likely than not that Paredes will remain in Houston for now, in some kind of utility role. |
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Enyel De Los Santos Enyel De Los Santos Nearing mound work
Sat, Feb 28, 2026, 9:35 AM
De Los Santos (knee) is expected to begin throwing bullpen sessions sometime next week, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Analysis: De Los Santos has been shut down from throwing since he suffered a right knee strain at the start of camp. It remains unknown how far away he is from pitching in Grapefruit League games, though the Astros will likely also have the 30-year-old reliever face live hitters before using him in a competitive setting. |
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