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Josh Hader Josh Hader Facing hitters by mid-April
Thu, Mar 26, 2026, 12:02 PM
Astros general manager Dana Brown said Thursday that Hader (biceps) will begin facing hitters by "mid-April," Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
Analysis: Working his way back from left biceps tendinitis, Hader has been throwing off the mound since early March and is slated for another bullpen session Friday. He's still a couple weeks away from facing hitters, though, and will surely need a rehab assignment before being activated, making it unlikely he'll be back before late April. Houston will use Bryan Abreu at closer while Hader is sidelined. |
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Brice Matthews Brice Matthews Claims Opening Day roster spot
Thu, Mar 26, 2026, 11:27 AM
The Astros announced Wednesday that Matthews won a spot on the Opening Day roster.
Analysis: Matthews is set to begin the season as a utility player for the Astros after producing an .817 OPS while seeing time at second base, left field and center field during spring training. The 24-year-old is also capable of playing shortstop, though the Astros will go with Carlos Correa at that position in Thursday's season opener versus the Angels as a replacement for the banged-up Jeremy Pena (finger). Matthews, who slashed just .167/.222/.452 in 47 plate appearances during his first taste of the majors last season, is likely to see most of his starts against left-handed pitching in the early going. |
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Joey Loperfido Joey Loperfido Starts in left field, bats fifth
Thu, Mar 26, 2026, 11:19 AM
Loperfido will start in left field and bat sixth in Thursday's opener against the Angels.
Analysis: Loperfido beat out Zach Cole for the Astros' left-field job, and he's occupying a favorable spot in the batting order versus right-hander Jose Soriano. The 26-year-old Loperfido has an intriguing power/speed skill set but will have to make enough contact to keep a regular job. He has a 33.3 percent strikeout rate in his first 122 major-league games. |
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Isaac Paredes Isaac Paredes Handling third base Opening Day
Thu, Mar 26, 2026, 11:14 AM
Paredes will start at third base and bat third in Thursday's opener versus the Angels.
Analysis: Jeremy Pena (finger) is on the active roster but not quite ready to play yet, so Paredes will occupy the hot corner while Carlos Correa slides over to shortstop. When the Astros' roster is fully healthy, it's going to be more difficult for Paredes to find a regular spot in the lineup. |
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Jeremy Pena Jeremy Pena Not in lineup for opener
Thu, Mar 26, 2026, 11:06 AM
Pena (finger) is not in the lineup for Thursday's opener against the Angels.
Analysis: Per Chandler Rome of The Athletic, Pena has progressed enough in his recovery from a fractured right ring finger to avoid the 10-day injured list, but he's not quite ready to play in major-league games. Pena is at the Astros' nearby Triple-A Sugar Land affiliate Thursday morning getting in some live at-bats, and it's unclear whether he will be available off the bench Thursday or if Houston will play a man short. Consider him day-to-day for the time being. With Pena out, Carlos Correa will slide over to shortstop and Isaac Paredes will start at third base. |
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Zach Cole Zach Cole Misses out on Opening Day roster
Wed, Mar 25, 2026, 2:39 PM
The Astros optioned Cole to Triple-A Sugar Land on Wednesday.
Analysis: Over the final two and a half weeks of the 2025 season, Cole turned some heads by producing a .255/.327/.553 slash line in his first taste of the big leagues, though it came with a bloated 38.5 percent strikeout rate. After Cole continued to strike out at a 40 percent clip during the Grapefruit League and was unable to provide enough power (.200 ISO) to compensate for it, the Astros will elect to send the 25-year-old back to Triple-A for further refinement. Houston will carry Brice Matthews on its Opening Day roster as a fourth outfielder and backup infielder. |
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Christian Roa Christian Roa Wins bullpen job in Houston
Wed, Mar 25, 2026, 2:00 PM
The Astros selected Roa's contract from Triple-A Sugar Land on Wednesday.
Analysis: Roa came to Astros camp as a non-roster invitee and won a spot by allowing just one run with a 13:0 K:BB over 9.2 Grapefruit League innings. The righty has just two games of big-league experience under his belt and should be used in low-leverage situations. |
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Christian Vazquez Christian Vazquez Contract selected
Wed, Mar 25, 2026, 1:57 PM
The Astros selected Vazquez's contract from Triple-A Sugar Land on Wednesday.
Analysis: Vazquez will open the season as the Astros' backup catcher behind starter Yainer Diaz. He's hit only .215/.267/.311 the past three seasons in the majors but remains a capable defensive backstop. |
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Josh Hader Josh Hader Officially placed on injured list
Wed, Mar 25, 2026, 12:35 PM
The Astros placed Hader (biceps) on the 15-day injured list Wednesday.
Analysis: Hader resumed mound work in early March but has not made an appearance in a game since he was diagnosed with left biceps tendinitis in early February. The southpaw is sure to require a rehab assignment before rejoining Houston's active roster. Bryan Abreu will be the Astros' closer while Hader is sidelined. |
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Nate Pearson Nate Pearson Goes on 15-day IL
Wed, Mar 25, 2026, 12:29 PM
The Astros placed Pearson (elbow) on the 15-day injured list Wednesday.
Analysis: Pearson had to be shut down in early March after feeling soreness in his surgically repaired right elbow. It's not clear whether he's resumed throwing, and even if he has he's surely looking at longer than a minimum stay on the IL. |
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Jeremy Pena Jeremy Pena All clear for Opening Day
Wed, Mar 25, 2026, 12:23 PM
Pena (finger) is included on the Astros' Opening Day roster, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
Analysis: Pena fractured his right ring finger in early March and was held out of game action until playing in an exhibition contest Tuesday. The 28-year-old homered in that game and has been deemed ready to roll for Thursday's opener against the Angels. Pena is set to start at shortstop and bat leadoff for Houston this season. |
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Hayden Wesneski Hayden Wesneski Placed on 15-day injured list
Wed, Mar 25, 2026, 12:13 PM
The Astros placed Wesneski (elbow) on the 15-day injured list Wednesday.
Analysis: Wesneski still has lots of rehabbing to do following last May's Tommy John surgery. He could eventually shift to the 60-day IL when/if Houston needs the 40-man roster spot. |
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Brandon Walter Brandon Walter Headed to 60-day injured list
Wed, Mar 25, 2026, 12:02 PM
The Astros placed Walter (elbow) on the 60-day injured list.
Analysis: Putting Walter on the 60-day IL gives Houston another 40-man roster spot to play with. The lefty will miss the entire 2026 campaign after having Tommy John surgery last September. |
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Enyel De Los Santos Enyel De Los Santos To injured list with knee strain
Wed, Mar 25, 2026, 12:01 PM
The Astros placed Santos (knee) on the 15-day injured list Wednesday.
Analysis: Santos first injured his knee at the start of camp. He was able to return to make his spring training debut last week, but the reliever either had a setback or the Astros simply weren't convinced he was ready. |
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Ronel Blanco Ronel Blanco Goes on 15-day IL
Wed, Mar 25, 2026, 11:58 AM
The Astros placed Blanco (elbow) on the 15-day injured list Wednesday.
Analysis: Blanco will be shelved until the second half as he continues his recovery from Tommy John surgery with an internal brace. He's a candidate to be shifted to the 60-day IL if/when the Astros need to free up a spot on their 40-man roster. |
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Cesar Salazar Cesar Salazar Designated for assignment
Wed, Mar 25, 2026, 11:51 AM
The Astros designated Salazar for assignment Wednesday.
Analysis: The Astros chose to roster Christian Vazquez over Salazar as their backup catcher. Teams are often on the lookout for catching depth, so it's possible Salazar draws interest on waivers. |
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Bennett Sousa Bennett Sousa Lands on injured list
Wed, Mar 25, 2026, 11:48 AM
The Astros placed Sousa (oblique) on the 15-day injured list Wednesday.
Analysis: Sousa will get a late start to the season after tweaking his oblique in mid-March. He collected a 2.84 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 59:15 K:BB across 50.2 innings in 2025 and will fill a key relief role again for the Astros, once healthy. |
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Zach Dezenzo Zach Dezenzo Sent to IL with elbow sprain
Wed, Mar 25, 2026, 11:38 AM
The Astros placed Dezenzo (elbow) on the 10-day injured list Wednesday.
Analysis: Dezenzo hurt his elbow while playing for Team Italy in the World Baseball Classic. There's no timetable for his return, but the fact that he was diagnosed with a sprain suggests it could be longer than a minimum absence. |
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Yainer Diaz Yainer Diaz Two RBI in final tuneup
Wed, Mar 25, 2026, 9:18 AM
Diaz went 1-for-2 with a pair of RBI in Tuesday's exhibition matchup against Triple-A Sugar Land.
Analysis: Diaz is starting to warm up just in time after struggling for much of spring training -- the 27-year-old backstop finished Grapefruit League play with a .143/.226/.214 slash line, no homers and just two extra-base hits across 11 games. Still, Diaz should offer some upside at the catcher position after batting .256 with 20 homers, 70 RBI and a .701 OPS across 143 regular-season games in 2025. |
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Cesar Salazar Cesar Salazar Fails to make Opening Day roster
Tue, Mar 24, 2026, 3:59 PM
Salazar did not make the Astros' Opening Day roster, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Analysis: He's out of minor-league options, so Salazar will have to be exposed to waivers first if the Astros intend to send him to Triple-A Sugar Land. The 30-year-old has seen spot duty with Houston the past three years, slashing .232/.318/.268in 67 plate appearances. |
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