May 24, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros manager Joe Espada (19) walks in the dugout before the game against the Seattle Mariners at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Astros Mounting Injury Woes Should Greatly Concern Team Moving Forward

Originally posted on Houston Astros on SI | By Jacob Moss | Last updated Jun 17, 2025 8:00 PM ET

The Houston Astros have rounded into one of the American League's top sides after a rough start to the season, currently holding an AL West leading 41-31 record.

Perhaps the most impressive part of the Astros success as of late has been the fact that they've vaulted their way back into contention while also dealing with what's arguably the worst injury luck of any team in all of baseball.

It seems like Houston is moving somebody else onto the IL every week at this point, with Triple-A Sugar Land serving as a revolving door of call ups as the Astros are in constant need of reinforcements.

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The area in which Houston has been hit the hardest has undoubtably been their starting rotation, as the team currently has seven different named starters on the IL, with six of them residing on the 60-day IL.

Ronel Blanco and Hayden Wesneski have already been lost for the season with Tommy John surgery, and guys like Christian Javier and J.P. France are still working their way back from season ending surgeries they underwent in 2024.

The other key area that the Astros have been absolutely devastated by the injury bug in has been the outfield.

Astros general manager Dana Brown said Yordan Alvarez has a small fracture in his right hand that’s 60 percent healed. It was found after the inflammation went down. He won’t be swinging a bat for a while but will return in the “near future.”
— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) May 31, 2025

Star slugger Yordan Alvarez has been absent for going on two months with a fractured right hand, and Chas McCormick has been dealing with a nagging oblique strain, which have marked the two biggest losses the team has been feeling thus far.

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Recent injuries to rookies Jacob Melton and Zach Dezereno have further strained Houston's already thin depth in the outfield as well, further compounding the issue.

The team has offered encouraging updates on several of the names listed above as they advance through their respective recoveries, but the sheer magnitude of injuries Houston has had to navigate around should deeply concern them moving forward.

There's no question that when they are at full strength this Astros team can compete for a World Series title, but it's hard to tell when or even if they'll be get back to that point.

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They've been able to stay afloat thus far, but one or two more blows could end up being too much to overcome, leading to a potential collapse in on field production as a result.

Simply put, Houston is in a very precarious situation, and that should not go unheeded even if they are in the driver's seat in the AL West. If the team doesn't take adequate measures to mitigate the losses they've sustained, then they could very well suffer a collapse down the stretch.

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This article first appeared on Houston Astros on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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