Nine games remain in the regular season and the Houston Astros battle with the Texas Rangers for the American League West Division title. The two in-state rivals were tied going into action on Thursday night for first place.
TONIGHT’S GAME: With just nine games remaining on their schedule, the first-place Houston Astros will welcome in the Atlanta Braves for their final home series of the 2026 regular season.
There is a lot in baseball that is much more fun and exciting than home runs, which is a piece of the Houston Astros' game this year that has not eluded them by any means, as there are currently five players on the roster who have hit the 20-home-run mark this year.
The 2026 season has been headlined by young players emerging, but some wily veterans have also had their day. As we head toward the end of the regular season, these 30 players stand out as the biggest surprises on their teams.
After taking two of three at home over the Kansas City Royals, the Houston Astros ended the series right where they began in the American League West Division standings, one game ahead of the Texas Rangers, who took two of three from the Boston Red Sox.
The Houston Astros received encouraging news on Carlos Correa after the shortstop underwent a medical evaluation. Astros manager Joe Espada said Correa has no structural damage and is dealing with lingering inflammation.
The Houston Astros got a big win against the Kansas City Royals in the final game of their series, and their big dogs came out to reel them in for a victory.
At the beginning of September, the Houston Astros had the best record in the league (28-15) against teams that were playing above .500. Since September 5, they have played to 9-10, so they have fallen to third place at 37-25.
Houston Astros outfielder Jake Meyers will miss the rest of the 2026 season after fouling a pitch off his left kneecap in a minor league game. The 30-year-old center fielder suffered the injury Sept.
Astros outfielder Jake Meyers is done for the year after fouling a ball of his left knee cap in the minors, according to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. He was placed on the minor league injured list September 12, per to his transactions tracker at MLB.com.
The Yordan Alvarez American League Most Valuable Player hype just keeps on getting bigger. Alvarez added to that again on Thursday, when he hit another home run, his 40th of the 2026 MLB season, during a matchup against the Kansas City Royals at Daikin Park in Houston.
Yordan Alvarez slugged his 40th home run while Jeremy Pena added his sixth leadoff blast of the season as the Houston Astros hit a season-high five home runs en route to a 6-2 victory over the visiting Kansas City Royals in the rubber match of a three-game series on Thursday.
The Houston Astros farm system has never been highly ranked over the recent years, but talent still finds its way through. The Astros now have a very young core across their minor league system and recently had their full slate of picks for just the second time in the last six years.
The Houston Astros have been fortunate as far as run differential and OPS differential is concerned in 2026. Their run differential would suggest a team 10-games below .500.
A familiar name from the Houston Astros’ championship years is heading to a new clubhouse, this time in the National League. The Philadelphia Phillies claimed right-hander José Urquidy off waivers from the Chicago White Sox on Thursday.
TONIGHT’S GAME: With just 10 games remaining on their regular season schedule, the Astros will continue their final homestand of the season tonight as they host the Royals for a rubber game of their three-game series in Houston, TX.
Houston Astros manager Joe Espada’s job security remains uncertain despite the club entering Thursday tied for first place in the American League West.
The Houston Astros have been looking for consistent production from the outfield all season long. Left field has been a rotational effort, and the Astros have looked to waivers over the past few weeks to find some more answers.
Houston Astros manager Joe Espada announced that third baseman Carlos Correa will miss the remainder of the season, effectively ending his bid to return from left ankle surgery in May.
Jeremy Pena recorded his fifth career multi-homer game and Yordan Alvarez homered for just the second time this month as the Houston Astros claimed the opener of a three-game series against the visiting Kansas City Royals with a 4-2 victory on Tuesday.
Amidst the inconsistency of the Houston Astros 2026 season, left-handed closer Josh Hader‘s sustained dominance has them at the top of the American League West.