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Cristian Javier Cristian Javier Takes loss in bulk relief
Sat, Aug 29, 2026, 8:45 PM
Javier (1-5) took the loss against the Mets on Saturday, allowing three runs on six hits and no walks with four strikeouts over 4.1 innings.
Analysis: All of the damage against Javier came in a three-run fifth inning, and he threw a strong 57 of 78 pitches for strikes with 13 whiffs. The 29-year-old did manage to keep the ball in the park for the first time in five August contests, but he'll end the month 0-4 with a 5.79 ERA despite a strong 21:4 K:BB over those five outings. He owns a 6.45 ERA, 1.63 WHIP and 42:19 K:BB across 44.2 innings this season and lines up for a home matchup with the Diamondbacks next weekend. |
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Yordan Alvarez Yordan Alvarez Goes deep in loss
Sat, Aug 29, 2026, 8:27 PM
Alvarez went 2-for-3 with a home and two RBI in Saturday's 6-2 loss to the Mets.
Analysis: Alvarez produced both of the Astros' runs, opening the scoring with a sacrifice fly in the first inning before adding a solo shot in the eighth. The long ball was just his second in 25 August games, though he still owns a .919 OPS during that stretch. The 29-year-old nears the final month of the regular season eyeing the American League Triple Crown, leading in batting average (.320), homers (37) and RBI (93) to go along with 90 runs scored and a stolen base across 588 plate appearances. |
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Ethan Pecko Ethan Pecko Starting Sunday
Sat, Aug 29, 2026, 6:04 PM
Pecko will start for the Astros in Sunday's series finale against the Mets, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
Analysis: Mike Burrows (elbow) made his third rehab outing this past Wednesday, so Pecko will get one more in the rotation until the former is officially cleared to return from the injured list. Pecko has struggled over the first two games of his major-league career, allowing seven runs on eight hits (including two homers) and seven walks while striking out five across eight innings. |
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Yainer Diaz Yainer Diaz Heading to bench Saturday
Sat, Aug 29, 2026, 12:54 PM
Diaz is not in the starting lineup for Saturday's game against the Mets, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
Analysis: Christian Vazquez will take over behind the plate as Diaz rests after catching back-to-back games. Diaz's .705 OPS for the season is right in line with his .701 mark from 2025, but he sits at half of last year's homer total of 20, having missed roughly a month and a half earlier in the season with an oblique injury. |
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Cam Smith Cam Smith Sitting again Saturday
Sat, Aug 29, 2026, 12:47 PM
Smith is not in the starting lineup for Saturday's game against the Mets, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
Analysis: This marks Smith's second consecutive absence from the lineup, with both absences coming against right-handed starting pitchers (Christian Scott and Nolan McLean). Smith has just one hit in his last 25 at-bats and may continue to yield starts to Taylor Trammell in right field until he begins showing signs of coming out of this funk. |
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Josh Hader Josh Hader Reaches 20 save mark
Fri, Aug 28, 2026, 11:02 PM
Hader earned the save in Friday's 3-1 win over the Mets, striking out two in a perfect ninth inning.
Analysis: Hader was called on to protect a two-run lead and retired the heart of the Mets' order to slam the door. The 32-year-old has converted each of his 20 save chances, with his last blown save coming July 12 of last season. On the year, he owns a 0.76 ERA, 0.68 WHIP and 48:11 K:BB across 35.1 innings while holding opponents scoreless in 33 of 36 contests. |
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Hunter Brown Hunter Brown Strikes out 10 in win
Fri, Aug 28, 2026, 10:55 PM
Brown (4-3) earned the win against the Mets on Friday, allowing one run on five hits and one walk with 10 strikeouts over 6.2 innings.
Analysis: Brown delivered his first double-digit strikeout performance of the campaign, generating 14 whiffs on 102 pitches and working into the seventh inning for the second time in 15 starts. It also broke a streak of five straight outings in which the 28-year-old allowed a home run, and he'll end August with a solid 3.18 ERA over 28.1 innings. He owns a 3.33 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 86:44 K:BB across 81 frames this season and lines up for a home matchup with the White Sox next week. |
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Bennett Sousa Bennett Sousa Opening Saturday
Fri, Aug 28, 2026, 9:17 PM
Sousa will serve as the opening pitcher during Saturday's game against the Mets, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
Analysis: Sousa gave up four earned runs while recording just one out during his last appearance Wednesday, but the Astros will trust him to work the first inning of Saturday's contest in what will be the left-hander's first career start. Cristian Javier is expected to work in bulk relief once Sousa comes out of the game. |
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Cam Smith Cam Smith Riding pine Friday
Fri, Aug 28, 2026, 3:17 PM
Smith is absent from the lineup for Friday's affair with the Mets.
Analysis: After back-to-back games in which he failed to reach base against the Yankees, Smith will take a breather for Friday's series opener. Taylor Trammell will move over to right field and bat eighth for Houston. |
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Jeremy Pena Jeremy Pena In Friday's lineup
Fri, Aug 28, 2026, 3:15 PM
Pena (hand) is in the lineup for Friday's matchup against the Mets, per Brian McTaggart of MLB.com.
Analysis: After taking a fastball off his left hand during Thursday's series finale against the Yankees, Pena is good to go for Friday's series opener with the Mets after X-rays came back negative. Pena will lead off and man shortstop for Houston. |
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AJ Blubaugh AJ Blubaugh Another strong showing
Fri, Aug 28, 2026, 6:47 AM
Blubaugh earned a hold in Thursday's 5-1 win over the Yankees, allowing one hit while striking out three over two scoreless innings.
Analysis: Blubaugh continues to impress since shifting to Houston's bullpen. The right-hander has held opponents scoreless in 11 of his last 13 appearances, posting a 0.93 ERA and 0.78 WHIP across 19.1 innings in that span. Blubaugh's ERA is down to 3.17 through 82.1 innings this season with a 1.17 WHIP and 84:34 K:BB. He's totaled seven holds and one save. |
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Christian Walker Christian Walker Smashes 24th homer in win
Thu, Aug 27, 2026, 10:12 PM
Walker went 3-for-4 with a two-run home run and an additional run scored in Thursday's 5-1 win over the Yankees.
Analysis: The 28-year-old first baseman put forth a rare effort of at least three hits, just his second since June 27 and eighth of the year. Walker is closing in on his fifth straight 25-homer, 80-RBI campaign in his second season with the Astros, slashing .233/.308/.441 with 24 long balls, 25 doubles, 75 RBI and 64 runs scored across 530 trips to the plate. |
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Jeremy Pena Jeremy Pena X-rays negative on hand
Thu, Aug 27, 2026, 10:01 PM
Pena underwent X-rays on his left hand, which came back negative, following Thursday's 5-1 win over the Yankees, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
Analysis: Pena took a 96.3 mph fastball from Gerrit Cole off his left hand in the top of the third inning, but he was able to remain in the game. He finished his day 1-for-4 with the hit-by-pitch, an RBI and two runs scored. The ball hit Pena in the knuckle on both his pinkie and ring finger, and he underwent X-rays to determine if he suffered any significant damage. He appears to have avoided a major injury, and he can be considered day-to-day ahead of Friday's series opener against the Mets. |
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Hayden Wesneski Hayden Wesneski Strikes out six in fourth win
Thu, Aug 27, 2026, 9:12 PM
Wesneski (4-1) notched the win against the Yankees on Thursday, allowing one run on three hits and two walks in five-plus innings. He struck out six.
Analysis: Wesneski worked into the sixth inning Thursday, keeping the Yankees quiet until Ben Rice came across for New York's first run in the sixth. The right-hander appears to be just about ready to handle a full starter's workload following his 2025 Tommy John surgery, reaching the 90-pitch marker in back-to-back starts now. Wesneski has yielded a lone run during that stretch, and he's set to bring a quality 3.86 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 28:12 K:BB over 32.2 innings into a home assignment against the White Sox. |
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Peter Lambert Peter Lambert Rebounds in no-decision
Wed, Aug 26, 2026, 9:17 PM
Lambert took a no-decision against the Yankees on Wednesday, allowing three runs (two earned) on seven hits and three walks in 5.2 innings. He struck out five.
Analysis: A throwing error by Christian Walker kept an earned run off Lambert's line, and the hurler came out short of logging a quality start. It was still an encouraging bounce-back effort by the right-hander, who was obliterated for a season-high nine runs his last time out against the Angels. Lambert has been rather steady besides that implosion, pitching at least five innings while yielding two runs or fewer in nine of his last 10 starts en route to posting a season 3.66 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 125:51 K:BB in 128 frames. |
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Mike Burrows Mike Burrows Third rehab start on tap
Wed, Aug 26, 2026, 4:56 PM
Burrows (elbow) will make a third rehab start Wednesday with Triple-A Sugar Land, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
Analysis: Wednesday's start should represent the final tune-up outing that Burrows requires before coming back from the 15-day injured list and potentially moving back into the Houston rotation. The 26-year-old righty has been exceptional during his first two appearances for Sugar Land, tossing nine scoreless innings while posting an 8:3 K:BB and giving up just four hits. |
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LaMonte Wade Jr. LaMonte Wade Jr. Not starting Wednesday
Wed, Aug 26, 2026, 4:52 PM
Wade is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Yankees.
Analysis: Wade will take a seat after he started in left field in each of the Astros' last three games and went 1-for-10 with a double and a run scored. He'll give up his spot in the lineup to Taylor Trammell, who will man left and bat seventh. |
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Yainer Diaz Yainer Diaz Resting after two-homer game
Wed, Aug 26, 2026, 4:50 PM
Diaz is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Yankees.
Analysis: Diaz will get a breather Wednesday, one night after turning in one of his best performances of the season. He was the star of Tuesday's 9-7 win, going 3-for-4 with two home runs, one walk, three RBI and an additional run. Christian Vazquez will get the nod behind the plate in Diaz's stead. |
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Bryan Abreu Bryan Abreu Picks up win vs. Yankees
Wed, Aug 26, 2026, 6:44 AM
Abreu (5-3) earned the win Tuesday over the Yankees, allowing a run on three hits across one inning.
Analysis: The Astros turned to Abreu with two outs in the seventh inning, and he got George Lombard to fly out, stranding two runners. After Houston took an 8-6 lead in the top of the eighth, Abreu came back out and promptly gave up a run on back-to-back hits to open the frame. However, he coaxed a double-play ball off the bat of Austin Wells before Josh Hader came on to record the final out. While it's been an up-and-down year overall for Abreu, the right-hander had looked excellent coming into Tuesday's contest, allowing just two runs while posting a 0.96 WHIP with 23 strikeouts across 17.2 innings in his previous 17 appearances. Overall, Abreu's ERA sits at 4.17 through 49.2 inning this season with a 1.45 WHIP and 63:36 K:BB. |
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Josh Hader Josh Hader Collects 19th save
Tue, Aug 25, 2026, 10:17 PM
Hader earned the save in Tuesday's 9-7 win over the Yankees, striking out one batter across 1.1 scoreless innings without allowing a hit or walk.
Analysis: The Astros brought out Hader with two outs and a runner on in the eighth, and the veteran southpaw answered the call by striking out Trent Grisham before securing the save on just seven pitches in the ninth. Hader has yet to blow a save chance in 19 opportunities and boasts an 0.81 ERA, 0.72 WHIP and 44:11 K:BB over 33.1 innings this season. |
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