Three Takeaways From the Astros Current 2026 Roster

Bullpen Potential Unknown, Plenty of Starter Depth

The big story during spring training was the injury recovery of All-Star closer Josh Hader. While he didn’t make the opening-day roster, he’s currently on the 15-day injured list and is expected to face hitters at the beginning of April. This isn’t supposed to be a long-term issue, as the news came out, he was a couple of weeks behind during camp. 

Meanwhile, Bryan Abreu takes over the closer role, as he did at the end of last season. Abreu is typically at his best as the set-up man. He struggled in his one outing so far and gave up three earned runs in one inning. Abreu posted a 2.28 ERA last season and was 7/12 in save opportunities.

AJ Blubaugh, as a young long reliever, shows potential with high velocity. The Astros made two new acquisitions, Ryan Weiss and Kai-Wei Teng, who had starter potential but will begin the season in the bullpen. Weiss has spent time in Korea and gave up two hits and one earned run in his one inning on March 27. 

New Bullpen Arms on Astros 2026 Roster

Teng was acquired in a trade from the San Francisco Giants and threw 2.1 scoreless innings in the Astros’ first win of the season on Saturday. Bryan King and Steven Okert return to the bullpen from last season, and it was a mixed bag for both. They’ll need to step up without Hader in the beginning. 

Roddery Muñoz was acquired through the Rule Five draft and made his first appearance on Friday with a scoreless 0.2 innings and three walks. It was a big step for him and for Christian Roa to make it on the roster, but it was due to injuries. Bennett Sousa was one of the Astros’ better relievers last season and remains on the 15-day IL with a Grade 1 oblique strain. Nate Pearson is on the 15-day IL with elbow soreness and is expected to pitch in the bullpen. He was one of the first Astros signings in the offseason. 

Enyel De los Santos will return soon as he goes through a rehab assignment with Triple-A Sugar Land. The bullpen depth will get better as the season goes on. The Astros could go to a six-man rotation during a long stretch of games and recall Spencer Arrighetti from the minors. Jason Alexander is also in the minors. Both Ronel Blanco and Hayden Wesneski start the season on the 15-day IL after having Tommy John surgery a year back. Those two could return sometime later in the year. 

For more information on the starting rotation, check out LWOS’ breakdown here. 

A Young Outfield Could Have Promise

The Astros 2026 roster has a significantly young outfield, but there is talent across the board. Yordan Alvarez is expected to be primarily the designated hitter, but will get some time in left field. Cam Smith has started in right field and made strong defensive plays despite a slow offensive start. Jake Meyers had a bounce-back season in 2025 and will make the majority of his starts in center field. 

Joey Loperfido was the big trade acquisition during spring training and has gotten off to an outstanding start during the regular season. He’s hitting the ball well and is electric in the field. Loperfido will alternate between outfield positions, but could end up being in left field a lot. His development on offense is key, and if he keeps it going, the Astros can be a lot more dangerous.

Brice Matthews has moved to the outfield as well and has made a couple of starts out there. He is naturally an infielder, but the young, promising talent will get more opportunities. It will be interesting to see how Smith continues to develop. If the Astros can get offensive production from the outfield, they will be hard to stop.

Zach Cole is also available in the minors if needed, and he has pop off the bat, as shown at the end of last season. 

Infield Logjam: A Good Thing?

While there were plenty of trade rumors on Isaac Paredes, he made it onto the opening-day roster and has played every game so far for the Astros. He will split time all over the infield and has already played at second and third base as well as DH. Jeremy Peña’s fractured finger sidelined him briefly, but Paredes’ presence let him take his time returning.

The season is a long grind. Paredes will find opportunities as veterans like Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, and Christian Walker rest or deal with injuries. Alvarez’s absence on the left allows him to take the DH spot. Providing more flexibility for Houston. 

Nick Allen is the backup utility man and takes Mauricio Dubon’s spot. Given Paredes’ role, it’s likely Allen’s opportunities will remain few.