The Astros enter the second half in a far better spot than they were a few weeks ago. Joe Espada’s club is only three games behind the Rangers in the AL West, and they’re packed into a crowded race for the final AL Wild Card spot with another half dozen teams sitting within three games of that line.
That kind of positioning changes the mood fast. Houston missed the playoffs last year, but a strong finish would put the Astros right back in the postseason picture. And while the overall outlook has brightened, a few players are staring at real pressure once the games start back up.
Bryan Abreu is one of them, even if his recent work has steadied the ship. His first stretch this season was rough, but over his last 12 outings he has struck out 15 batters in 11⅔ innings and posted a 2.31 ERA.
That’s much closer to the version of Abreu Houston expects. With Josh Hader back where he belongs at the back end of the bullpen, Abreu now has a chance to settle in as the setup man.
The catch is that he’ll be a free agent after the 2026 season, so the second half is essentially a chance to pitch his way into his next deal, even if that future probably won’t be in Houston.
Mike Burrows is in a tougher spot. He landed on the IL just before the All-Star break, which wiped out the impact of his demotion to the minors.
The Astros expect him back soon after play resumes, but where he fits once healthy is far from clear. Houston liked him enough to call him one of its most exciting winter upgrades, but the results have been ugly.
It’s difficult to picture the Astros leaving him in the minors for the entire second half, though that could become a real possibility depending on how he pitches and what Dana Brown does at the trade deadline.
Cam Smith also enters the second half with plenty to prove. The rookie has been excellent defensively in the outfield, but Houston needs much more from his bat.
Before the break, he hit .218/.292/.377, and if that doesn’t improve, the Astros have enough other outfield options on the 40-man roster to move on without him. Smith has the tools, but he still hasn’t put everything together on a consistent basis.
Then there’s Tatsuya Imai, who carries the most pressure of the group. The explanations for his first-half struggles have been plentiful, but that doesn’t change the reality: the Astros expected more from their prized free-agent signing, and he hasn’t delivered.
Questions about whether he could adjust to MLB competition were always there, and so far he hasn’t answered them. If the second half looks like the first, a move to the bullpen or even the minors could be on the table, though he would have to agree to that.
Houston doesn’t need him to be an ace, but it does need him to be at least a serviceable No. 3 or 4 starter down the stretch.
In Other News...
Dana Brown Just Sent Astros Fans A Trade Deadline Message
Houstons front office has already made one move, but Dana Brown made it clear the work is not done. After sending Lance McCullers Jr. and Colton Gordon to Milwaukee, the Astros created room on the roster and added some flexibility as they wait on injured pitchers to work their way back, a sign the deadline plan is still very much in motion.
Brown said the club is still looking to improve and is focused on adding a left-handed bat before the Aug. 3 deadline. Houston also wants to see how its returning pitchers look before making its next call, with Ronel Blanco expected back soon and Hayden Wesneski needing a little more rehab time, leaving the Astros with a few moving parts to sort through in the final stretch. [Read more 🡒]
Astros Late-Inning Problem Just Got Harder To Ignore
The Astros have spent much of the season leaning on a bullpen that has generally kept runs off the board since May 1, especially when the leverage climbs and the matchups turn toward left-handed arms. But the formula has started to look a little too fragile for comfort, with Houston still trying to patch together the right-handed side of the relief corps while also managing a rotation that has not made the late innings any easier.
Bryan Kings recent run of trouble against right-handed hitters has only sharpened the concern, because the Astros have been able to get by with this approach only if those matchups keep holding. With the trade deadline drawing closer, the front office is staring at a familiar kind of summer pressure: the need to find help before a bullpen built on a few specific strengths gets exposed in the spots that matter most. [Read more 🡒]
Astros Deadline Fix For Familiar Lineup Problem Feels Riskier Than Ever
The Astros have spent much of the season trying to solve the same problem that keeps surfacing every deadline: finding a left-handed hitting outfielder who can actually help the lineup without forcing the front office into a corner. It is a difficult search even before you get to the market, because Houston does not have much in the way of payroll wiggle room or prospect capital to make a clean upgrade.
Jung Hoo Lee would bring the kind of bat that would make the fit easier to imagine, but the cost likely pushes him out of reach. That leaves the Astros looking at cheaper alternatives and trying to balance affordability against real lineup value, with only a small amount of savings from the Lance McCullers Jr. trade to work with if they want to avoid crossing the luxury tax line. [Read more 🡒]