Right-hander Jason Alexander cleared waivers after being designated for assignment by the Astros and has been assigned outright to their Triple-A affiliate, per the transaction log at MLB.com.
Astros fans, after 162 games, your team is once again the champion of the American League West. So how are you feeling? Excited? Relieved? Optimistic? Still concerned?
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.
The Houston Astros are officially back in the postseason as American League West division champions after a one-year absence. It was an absolutely wild season that saw so many ups and downs.
For the first time in MLB history, a team with a .500 record won a division. That club was the 2026 Houston Astros, a team that took advantage of a weak division and a fantastic year from a likely AL MVP.
It wasn’t pretty, but the Astros are back in the postseason. 81-81 was good enough to win the American League West for an eighth time in 10 years, so now the Astros will host the Chicago White Sox in a best-of-three Wild Card Series starting on Tuesday.
The Houston Astros teamed good pitching with great hitting over the last two games to win both games handily and clinch a division title. It was the team’s eighth division title in the last 10 seasons and their 10th postseason appearance in 12 seasons.
The American League was somewhat of a dumpster fire this season, besides the top three teams in the AL East, which made the wild card race a turtle race.
As the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers were in battle for the AL West divisional crown, the former team would come out on top on the final day of the regular season.
The Chicago White Sox's 9-6 loss to the Colorado Rockies and the 11-5 Cleveland Guardians win over the Kansas City Royals ended the American League Central race.
Despite needing to leave to win a championship, Justin Verlander's eventual plaque inside the Baseball Hall of Fame will likely show him wearing the Detroit Tigers' logo on his cap.
Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Sean Burke has a 2.94 earned run average over his last 79.2 innings with 90 strikeouts. Burke has continued to improve in his second full season with the White Sox and as a starter.
It hasn’t been pretty, but the top of the American League West standings are competitive at least. The Houston Astros and Texas Rangers are currently tied for the division lead at 79-80 overall with three games left to play in the regular season.
The AL West divisional race is going down to the wire. Entering play on Friday, the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers are both tied for first place with three games remaining.
The Houston Astros designated right-hander Jason Alexander for assignment on Thursday, clearing a 40-man roster spot after placing outfielder Daulton Varsho on the 10-day injured list with left wrist inflammation and selecting outfielder Jorge Barrosa from the minors, per Astros insider Brian McTaggart.
The Astros announced that they have placed outfielder Daulton Varsho on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to September 23, with left wrist inflammation.
Houston Astros shortstop Jeremy Peña remains day-to-day after being hit by a pitch, with manager Joe Espada providing an update on his condition as the regular season enters its final stretch.
7:31pm: It’s a Grade 2 strain for Javier, manager Joe Espada tells reporters (including Chandler Rome of The Athletic). 7:10pm: The Astros announced they’ve selected lefty Josh Hendrickson onto the major league roster.
By no means has this season gone the way that the Astros had hoped. After they were swept by the Braves at home this past weekend, Yordan Alvarez, a man of typically few words, decided to hold a players-only meeting.