One step forward and two steps back seems to be the reality of the Astros in 2026. They completed a series win against the rival Texas Rangers over the weekend and expect to get, at minimum, Jeremy Peña back from the IL this week. But, they may have lost Jose Altuve for a while with a dreaded oblique injury he suffered in an at bat against the Rangers.
It’s just that kind of season for the Astros who are once again one of the most injured teams in baseball. The latest is Altuve, who suffered a grade two oblique strain and was placed on the 10-day IL. By comparison, Jake Meyers had a similar injury and missed nearly six weeks (more on him below).
It’s not that Altuve was tearing the cover off the ball. His slash line of .245/.326/.380 isn’t exactly award winning. But, it just means another hole in an already depleted lineup even with others returning.
Speaking of, the Astros should have Peña back for the series in Minnesota this week and, potentially, Meyers, who should be done with his rehab stint as well. With Peña and Isaac Paredes on the left side of the infield, they will shore up an area left partially empty with the loss of Carlos Correa last week. It seems likely that Braden Shewmake will get some time at second given how well he has hit the ball, but Brice Matthews and Nick Allen should both get looks there as well.
Matthews has been outstanding in center field, but with Meyers return, there could be some shuffling of the deck. Cam Smith, as great as he is defensively in right, might need some time in the minors to fine tune his swing that has been ailing of late. At the moment, the Astros have some flexibility thanks to these returns.
In other positive injury news, Nate Pearson should see his first time in the big leagues with the Astros this week. Signed in the offseason as a possible starter, he will take his 100-plus mph fastball to the Astros bullpen, where they can certainly use the help.
Josh Hader, according to the team, will need four or five more rehab appearances before he is ready to rejoin the major league roster, but that could be just a couple weeks away.
With so much positive injury news, losing Altuve is a bummer, particularly with Correa’s notable absence. But it’s nothing new for a team that has been absolutely battered by injuries all season long.
