Brown (9-4) took the loss Sunday against Texas, allowing four runs on five hits and two walks over 5.0 innings. He struck out eight.
Brown has allowed four or more runs in back-to-back starts -- something he had done just once in his first 17 appearances of 2025. Four of the five hits he surrendered Sunday went for extra bases. He'll look to rebound after the All-Star break, but even with the cold spell, Brown owns a stellar 2.43 ERA and a 137:34 K:BB across 115 innings.
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Astros' Zack Short: First MLB homer since 2023
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Short went 1-for-3 with a solo home run during Sunday's 5-1 loss to Texas.
It took Short 10 games to notch his first long ball with the Astros, tagging Nathan Eovaldi for a solo shot in the sixth inning. The round tripper was Short's first in the big leagues since 2023, as he went homerless in 88 plate appearances with three different teams during 2024. He's slashing .286/.348/.524 since being called up July 2.
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Astros' Ethan Frey: Selected by Houston
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The Astros have selected Frey with the 95th overall pick in the 2025 First-Year Player Draft.
Frey stands 6-foot-6, 225 pounds and is an intimidating presence in the box. The big righty-hitting right fielder slashed .331/.420/.641 with 13 home runs and a 22.2 percent strikeout rate in 62 games this spring. He didn't play much his first two years and could just be coming into his own, although there will likely always be a lot of swing and miss in his game.
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Astros' Xavier Neyens: Scooped by Astros
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The Astros have selected Neyens with the 21st overall pick in the 2025 First-Year Player Draft.
Neyens is an exciting lefty slugger out of high school in Washington, although there are questions about whether he'll strike out too much. At 6-foot-4, 210 pounds, he looks like a prototypical middle-of-the-order masher, and unlike many third basemen, Neyens bats from the left side. His swing is geared for launching balls, and while he has a good eye for his age, he swings and misses plenty and can be too passive at times. Neyens has a plus arm and was up to 95 mph as a pitcher, and he has the athleticism to stick at the hot corner for the foreseeable future. There's a chance he shows unpalatable strikeout issues in the lower levels, but if he's keeping his strikeout rates in the mid-to-low 20s, he has the impact potential to shoot up prospect rankings.
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Astros' Isaac Paredes: Two hits atop order Sunday
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Paredes went 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles in Sunday's 5-1 loss to the Rangers.
Since Jeremy Pena (rib) landed on the injured list in late June, Paredes has stepped in as Houston's leadoff man. He's served as the Astros' table setter for each of the last 14 games, batting .293 with three home runs, nine runs and four RBI during that stretch. Paredes was recently named to his second straight All-Star team, but the Astros announced Sunday that the 26-year-old won't participate in the Midsummer Classic while he tends to a family matter, per Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle. Manager Joe Espada said he expects Paredes to rejoin the team in advance of its first game of the second half Friday in Seattle.
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Astros' Jacob Melton: Taking part in baseball activities
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Melton (ankle) recently transitioned his rehab program to the Astros' spring training facility in Florida and is in the midst of hitting, running and throwing progressions, MLB.com reports.
Melton hit .241 with no home runs and three stolen bases in 11 games with Houston before landing on the injured list June 14 due to a right ankle sprain. The outfielder could be ready to begin a rehab assignment shortly after the All-Star break, but the Astros haven't yet offered up a definitive target date for his return from the IL.
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Astros' J.P. France: Faces hitters
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France (shoulder) tossed a live batting practice session Wednesday, MLB.com reports.
France has been facing live hitters for nearly a month, but the Astros haven't yet provided an update on when he might be ready to embark on what will likely be an extended minor-league rehab assignment. The right-hander has been out all season while recovering from last July's surgery to repair a torn shoulder capsule.
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Astros' Spencer Arrighetti: Closing in on rehab assignment
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Astros general manager Dana Brown said Sunday that Arrighetti (thumb) could be ready to begin a rehab assignment in about a week or a week and a half, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
Brown noted that Arrighetti has resumed throwing live batting practice sessions at the Astros' spring training facility in Florida, and the 25-year-old righty sounds like he'll get the green light to start up a rehab assignment shortly after the All-Star break. Arrighetti made just two starts to begin the season before being placed on the injured list April 8 due to a fractured right thumb, so he'll likely require multiple outings in the minors to build up his pitch count before he's cleared to rejoin the big-league rotation. Arrighetti could be back with the Astros at some point in early or mid-August.
Astros general manager Dana Brown said Sunday that he expects Meyers (calf) to be out for "at the very minimum, three-plus weeks," Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
After he initially tweaked his right calf last Sunday in a win over the Dodgers, Meyers was held out of the lineup for two days before he checked back into the starting nine in Wednesday's 4-2 loss to the Guardians. Though he was credited with a start, Meyers didn't end up playing after aggravating the injury while running out to center field prior to the first pitch. He's since been diagnosed with a calf strain, and the injury is apparently viewed as more than a minor tweak, given that Brown has already seemingly counted Meyers out from returning before the beginning of August at the earliest. Taylor Trammell has started in center field in each of the three games since Meyers landed on the shelf and should have a clear path to an everyday role until the banged-up Astros regain some health in the outfield. In addition to Meyers, Houston has already lost Yordan Alvarez (hand), Pedro Leon (knee), Chas McCormick (oblique), Zach Dezenzo (hand) and Jacob Melton (ankle) to the injured list.
Astros' Jeremy Pena: Should return early in second half
Rotowire
Astros general manager Dana Brown said Sunday that he doesn't expect Pena (ribs) to be activated from the injured list for the first game of the second half Friday in Seattle, but the shortstop's return shouldn't be far off, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
Pena landed on the injured list in late June with a small rib fracture, but he recently resumed baseball activities by hitting in the batting cage and taking part in light on-field work. The big test for the shortstop will be throwing across the infield, but he's progressing well in his recovery thus far and could seemingly be back with the Astros before the end of July.
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Astros' Yordan Alvarez: Being re-evaluated Thursday
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Astros general manager Dana Brown said Sunday that Alvarez (hand) will be re-evaluated Thursday and could be cleared to start swinging a bat, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
Brown also added that Alvarez is no longer dealing with any pain in his hand and that the organization could "try to expedite his return." The veteran slugger has been on the injured list with the fractured hand since early May, and he received two injections to reduce inflammation in the area in early July. Alvarez won't be ready to rejoin the Astros for the start of the second half Friday in Seattle, but his activation may not be too far off if he can avoid any setbacks.
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Astros' Taylor Trammell: Moving into regular role
Rotowire
Trammell will start in center field and bat sixth in Sunday's game against the Rangers.
With injuries piling up in the Houston outfield, Trammell looks to have taken hold of a regular spot in the lineup. He'll pick up his sixth consecutive start Sunday after going 5-for-18 with a home run, two doubles, four RBI and three runs over his last five games. Trammell is capable of playing all three outfield spots but will likely see most of his time in center field while Jake Meyers (calf) is on the shelf.
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Astros' Brice Matthews: Not starting Sunday
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Matthews is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Rangers, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
Matthews started at second base in his first two MLB games after being promoted Friday, and he'll take a seat after going 0-for-7 with five strikeouts. Mauricio Dubon will shift to the keystone while Zack Short receives a start at shortstop.
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Astros' Yainer Diaz: Receiving Sunday off
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Diaz is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Rangers, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
Diaz will sit after a run of eight straight starts, during which he went 8-for-30 (.267) with two doubles, three homers and a stolen base. Victor Caratini will do the catching Sunday while Isaac Paredes serves as the designated hitter.
Dubon went 1-for-2 with a solo home run and a walk in Saturday's 5-4 extra-innings win over the Rangers.
Dubon saw a nine-game hitting streak end Friday, but he responded in a big way with a seventh-inning homer Saturday. That blast ended his power drought at 15 games, during which he hit .260 with five doubles and one RBI. Dubon is getting a chance to play regularly at shortstop while Jeremy Pena (ribs) remains out, though Zack Short is also in the mix at that position. Second base is unlikely to be available to Dubon while top prospect Brice Matthews is up with the big club. In a utility role this year, Dubon is slashing .259/.297/.421 with six homers, 20 RBI, 26 runs scored, 14 doubles and two stolen bases over 211 plate appearances.
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Astros' Josh Hader: Takes first blown save
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Hader allowed a run on two hits and struck out two in one inning to take a blown save in Saturday's 5-4 extra-innings win over the Rangers.
Hader served up a game-tying home run to Kyle Higashioka in the ninth inning, which stuck the Houston closer with his first blown save of the year. He's also showing some struggles -- after allowing four runs (three earned) across 13.2 innings in June, he's been charged with six runs (five earned) through five frames in July. The long ball remains a problem, as Hader has given up eight homers in 42.2 innings this season, though he's largely been successful by converting 25 of 26 save chances. He's added a 2.53 ERA, 0.82 WHIP and 65:9 K:BB, ratios that are better than last year across the board.
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Astros' Yainer Diaz: Smacks homer in win
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Diaz went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Saturday's 5-4 extra-innings win over the Rangers.
Diaz has hit .275 (11-for-40) with three homers, four RBI and a stolen base across 11 games in July. The catcher was limited to just two long balls over his first 25 games of the season, but he's since rebounded in the power department. Overall, he has a .688 OPS, 13 homers, 38 RBI, 34 runs scored, 11 doubles, one triple and one steal across 84 contests in 2025.
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Astros' Jose Altuve: Homers in Saturday's win
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Altuve went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Saturday's 5-4 extra-innings win over the Rangers.
The first-inning solo shot was Altuve's fifth homer in his last 12 games. In that span, he's added 18 RBI while batting .370 (17-for-46). The 35-year-old has started the last two games in left field while Brice Matthews gets a chance to play second base following his call-up Friday. Altuve has split his time between left field, second base and designated hitter this year. He's now batting .275 with a .799 OPS, 17 homers, 52 RBI, 50 runs scored and six stolen bases over 92 contests.
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