It's been an interesting season for the Houston Astros so far.
No one quite knew what to expect after the franchise underwent so many changes this past winter that involved multiple star players leaving in free agency and via trade, but because of the pedigree they have and the fact that there is still plenty of talent on this roster, they were still projected to contend for a playoff spot.
However, the Astros enter play on Saturday with a 23-21 record, good enough for a second place standing in the AL West, but also out of the three Wild Card spots.
At times, Houston has flashed the upside they possess, combining elite pitching performances with offensive outbursts that remind everyone why this franchise is so feared. But they also have struggled to perform at the plate, making them a difficult team to gauge in the early going.
Much of the reason for the offensive inconsistencies is that Yordan Alvarez has not been himself.
Prior to going on the injured list with a muscle strain in his right hand, the superstar slugger was only slashing .210/.306/.340 with three homers, seven extra-base hits, 18 RBI and an OPS+ that was 16 points below the league average of 100.
He's looked like a shell of his former self who has an AL Rookie of the Year Award and three All-Star selections to his name.
The hope is Alvarez can use the time on the shelf to not only get healthy, but to figure things out at the plate.
Once he comes back, that will be answered.
And it sounds like his return is right around the corner.
The skipper told reporters on May 15 that the star is a "few days away" from getting activated off the injured list, per the team's injury page.
Alvarez has been hitting off a tee and soft tossing as part of his recovery steps.
While he hasn't been his usual self so far this year, there's no doubt that getting him back will be massive for this Houston lineup that is still struggling to find consistent producers when they get runners on base.
If Alvarez can start producing at the rate he has in the past, then the Astros will look much closer to the past versions of themselves and be right in the playoff mix with a chance to win yet another division title.
More must-reads:
New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman has stirred up a whirlwind, looking to fulfill his priority of bringing a frontline starter to New York. In his latest round of relentless phone calls, MLB insider Jon Heyman reports that Cashman spoke to San Diego Padres general manager, A.J. Preller, about two-time Cy Young candidate Dylan Cease. Cease has been a source of interest for MLB teams since 2022, when he pitched to a spectacular 2.20 ERA with 227 strikeouts in 184 innings, coming second in the Cy Young voting. Landing with the Padres last season, Cease again flashed potential, tossing to a 3.47 ERA with 224 strikeouts through 189.1 innings of work. That year, he placed fourth in Cy Young voting. But as much as Cease is talented, he is also flawed. In 2023, just after his best year, Cease posted a lackluster 4.58 ERA, and this season has been no better. Through 113.2 innings this year, Cease owns a 4.59 ERA with 144 strikeouts. Cease has been quite the strikeout artist since his debut, but the rest of his results haven’t always been that good. His 42 walks and 16 home runs surrendered on the year make him a risky bet. According to Heyman, the Yankees are one of four teams that have “checked in” on Cease. He notes that trading Cease is a long shot since the Padres are in contention, but they still may be inclined to do so as he is in the last year of his contract. One might also add that his performance this year probably won’t help them reach the World Series. For the Yankees, or any other interested team for that matter, dealing prospects or players for a slumping half-year rental might not be the best idea. Still, the Padres might just receive a decent haul for Cease since the market for spotless, front-line aces is non-existent at this trade deadline.
Following the shocking news of Hulk Hogan’s passing, wrestling legend Dustin Rhodes, known to millions as Goldust in WWE, took to social media to share a deeply personal and provocative reaction: “Hospitals truly kill people. I really do mean that.” Rhodes’ blunt statement stunned many fans, but those who know his story saw the pain behind the words. His father, the iconic Dusty Rhodes, passed away in 2015, aged 69, after a fall at home led to hospitalization for kidney failure. After his father's passing, Dustin shared a contemplative response on WWE's YouTube channel to discuss the legacy his father left behind. The news of Hogan's death comes just a month after reports suggested he was on his "deathbed" after undergoing a neck procedure back in May. Hogan's reps denied that was the case. In June, US Weekly reported that Hogan had also undergone a "pretty serious heart surgery and was doing well afterward." Dustin’s connection to his brother Cody Rhodes, now a top WWE superstar and face of the company’s next generation, is unbreakable. The Rhodes family legacy is deeply woven into the fabric of pro wrestling history, and seeing another legend like Hogan pass has clearly hit close to home. While Goldust and Hulk Hogan never had a headline-grabbing rivalry, they did share the ring once. It occurred in WCW in 2000 when Dustin Rhodes matched up against Hogan. Although their paths didn’t often cross in the squared circle, Hogan and the Rhodes family were part of the same larger-than-life era that helped define pro wrestling for decades and catapult the sport into society's zeitgeist. Rhodes’ comment about hospitals might not sit well with everyone, but it speaks to a raw and honest pain felt by someone who has seen too many legends, both personal and professional, fade away in similar fashion. The sport of wrestling has endured more than its fair share of lives cut short. As tributes continue to pour in for Hogan, Rhodes’ reaction serves as a powerful, if somber, reminder of the real human emotions behind the wrestling personas.
Former Los Angeles Lakers guard Shake Milton has found a new home. More news: Lakers’ Luka Doncic Has Reportedly Already Agreed to Massive Contract Extension With LA Days after the Lakers waived him, Milton will take his talents overseas. The 28-year-old is signing a two-year deal with Partizan Belgrade in Serbia. Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews shared the news via X. More news: Lakers Insider Urges Team to Make Major Change to Starting Five Milton spent most of the 2024-25 season with the Lakers after being acquired in a trade in late December from the Brooklyn Nets. Milton was reportedly in advanced talks to sign with the team as early as Thursday morning. The two sides were discussing a possible deal, and both parties came away satisfied with the talks. The former 2018 second-round pick will take his talents overseas for the first time in his professional career. Milton started his career with the Philadelphia 76ers after he was drafted and traded by the Dallas Mavericks. He has played for five other NBA teams, including the Minnesota Timberwolves, Detroit Pistons, New York Knicks, Nets, and the Lakers. In 30 games for the purple and gold this past season, Milton averaged 3.9 points per game, 1.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 0.3 steals per game while shooting 43.3 percent from the field and 29.4 percent from beyond the arc in 11.5 minutes of action. He started in one game for the Lakers. Overall, in his NBA career, Milton has played in 359 games, averaging 8.1 points per game, 2.2 rebounds, and 2.4 assists, while shooting 45.1 percent from the field and 35.8 percent from 3-point range. The Lakers waived Milton in order to make room for former Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart. More news: Lakers Confident in Luka Doncic Signing Massive Long-Term Extension: Report For more news and notes on the Los Angeles Lakers, visit Los Angeles Lakers on SI.
The Milwaukee Bucks' decision to waive-and-stretch Damian Lillard sparked even more Giannis Antetokounmpo rumors on social media. There were already reports that Antetokounmpo was considering his options and potentially forcing his way out of Milwaukee, and the Lillard move did little to alleviate the situation. Nevertheless, the weeks have gone by, and Antetokounmpo is still a Buck. More importantly, the team believes that's not going to change any time soon. "We have no indication that anything is really changing as far as our relationship with the player we think is the best in the world," a Bucks front office executive told Spotrac's Keith Smith. "We rebuilt on the fly, in a really challenging situation, but we think we did it as well as it could be done." Antetokounmpo trade rumors have cooled off around the league, and while anything can happen in the NBA, that doesn't seem likely at this point. "Do I think the star guys like Giannis (Antetokounmpo) or LeBron (James) are going to go anywhere? Nope. Is it possible? Sure is," said a Western Conference executive. Giannis chose to stay in Milwaukee with one of the most lucrative contract extensions in NBA history. He was overly critical of the team's effort last season, and another early playoff exit may have driven him to the edge. Even so, he's talked about how he wants to win "the right way," as opposed to chasing rings. That said, with head coach Doc Rivers' long list of questionable postseason performances and a championship window that could be closing right before their eyes, Giannis trade rumors will flood social media again if the Bucks get off to a slow start during the 2026-26 campaign.
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!