HOUSTON — With a major-league-high nine position players on the injured list — some of whom are weeks away from a return — the Houston Astros are “prioritizing the bats” before next week’s trade deadline, general manager Dana Brown said Thursday.
Brown and his baseball operations team entered July seeking a starting pitcher and a left-handed bat, but a rash of recent injuries to lineup mainstays has shifted the calculus. All-Star third baseman Isaac Paredes suffered a “significant” right hamstring strain last weekend that has clouded his availability for the remainder of the regular season.
The Astros also have seven starting pitchers on the IL, though Brown seemed encouraged enough by some of their rehab work to move offense ahead of an arm on his priority list. Right-hander Cristian Javier, who underwent Tommy John surgery last year, made his third minor-league rehab start Thursday. Fellow righty Spencer Arrighetti is nearing his second, too.
“Cross your fingers and hope nothing else happens, but injuries happen, so I’m always thinking about pitching,” Brown said before Thursday’s game against the Athletics. “When I’m talking to other clubs, if there’s a possibility to get a starter, I’ll take a starter. I’m always in the market for a starter.
“That said, I’m really locked in on the bat. If we can get a bat, it would be really good for this team, particularly a left-handed bat.”
Acquiring a pitcher and a position player is still feasible, Brown said, but the third-year GM made it clear “the priority is getting some more offense.” Getting both could be complicated by the Astros’ lack of top-end prospect capital and Brown’s revelation Thursday that it “wouldn’t be our preference” to trade off of the major-league roster.
Paredes’ injury left Houston without five of the nine players from its Opening Day lineup. Two of them, Paredes and center fielder Jake Meyers, are expected to have extended absences that could stretch into at least mid or late August. Meyers is amid a breakout season in which he trails only All-Star shortstop Jeremy Peña for the team lead in batting average and on-base percentage.
Peña, the team’s leader in almost every offensive category, fractured his left rib June 27 and still has not started a minor-league rehab assignment. Designated hitter Yordan Alvarez hasn’t played since May 2 and has already suffered two setbacks during his recovery from a fractured right hand.
Paredes’ and Peña’s absences mean the Astros are playing without the entire left side of their infield. Meyers is the team’s starting center fielder and is regarded as one of the sport’s premier defenders. Second base has also been in flux all season after Jose Altuve accepted a position switch to left field.
“We can’t be choosy,” Brown said. “You have to take whichever one comes, and we’ll take whichever one comes. If we can get an infielder, great. If we can get an outfielder, great. But the priority is the bat.”
An All-Star in 2025, Ryan O’Hearn has put up a 134 OPS+ over 88 games for the Baltimore Orioles.
Houston’s substitute-laden lineup has still posted a .761 OPS and scored 4.6 runs per game since Alvarez last appeared, but whether that success is sustainable is a legitimate question. Even with a full-strength roster, the Astros need balance.
No major-league lineup has had fewer plate appearances by a left-handed hitter than Houston’s. As a result, its right-handed-heavy bunch has taken a major-league-low 684 plate appearances against left-handed pitching.
Either of the Baltimore Orioles’ left-handed-hitting rental outfielders — Cedric Mullins or Ryan O’Hearn — is an obvious fit for Houston’s roster. So is Colorado Rockies outfielder Mickey Moniak or Chicago White Sox outfielder Mike Tauchman. The Tampa Bay Rays are showing no interest in moving left-handed-hitting second baseman Brandon Lowe, who has been a popular name among Astros fans.
Acquiring O’Hearn or Mullins would put the Astros perilously close to crossing the luxury tax for a second consecutive season, something the team has never done during Jim Crane’s ownership tenure.
Earlier this season, multiple team sources indicated Crane wanted to stay under the luxury tax. Brown even acknowledged in April that trading reliever Rafael Montero to the Atlanta Braves had financial motivations. Sending setup man Ryan Pressly to the Chicago Cubs this winter seemed like a pure salary dump, too.
Crane, however, has been known to buck his precedent during the trade deadline. He authorized blockbusters for Justin Verlander in 2017 and Zack Greinke in 2019, both of which took the Astros’ payroll to new heights.
Asked Thursday whether Crane would be comfortable crossing the luxury tax this season, Brown replied, “Jim is very committed to spending money when it comes to winning.”
“I think (Crane) understands that if we continue to play well, we’re going to make it to the postseason with a chance to win this division and go deep again, especially when guys start coming back,” Brown said. “Jim has always been supportive, and I think he’ll do whatever we need to do to get better at the deadline.”
(Photo of manager Joe Espada: Chris Coduto / Getty Images)