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Christian Walker Back From Hip Injury on Tuesday
Houston Astros first baseman Christian Walker (hip) is starting at first base and is batting sixth for the Astros on Tuesday against the visiting Miami Marlins and right-hander Tyler Phillips, according to MLB.com. Walker is back in the starting nine after missing the last two games due to a right-hip injury that he suffered on a swing on Saturday. The 35-year-old veteran will look to get back on track at the plate against a pitcher he has never faced after going 7-for-41 (.171) with one homer, three doubles, two RBI, five runs scored, three walks, and 15 strikeouts in 13 games and 48 plate appearances so far in July. Walker already has 20 home runs in 365 at-bats in 2026, but he's slashing just .233/.310/.455 with a .764 OPS, with 58 RBI and 50 runs scored in 99 games played. He's not striking out a ton (23.1% of the time), but his 43% ground-ball rate is his highest since 2020 with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Fantasy managers looking to buy low on Walker's power should think twice when looking at his .223 expected batting average and .301 xwOBA.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
