RADIO
Joe Espada May Not Receive a New Contract After 2026
"One high-ranking Houston Astros official said that (team manager) Joe Espada will not receive a new contract after the season," per Bob Nightengale of USA Today. Following a tough home stand in which Houston went 3-6 against a trio of division opponents, the Astros parted ways with general manager Dana Brown on Monday. While Espada's job is currently safe, it sounds like his days in Houston could be numbered as well. Now in his third season as the Astros manager, Espada has compiled a 240-214 record but has yet to win a postseason game. Entering play on Monday, the Astros sat at 65-66 but were tied for the division lead in the American League West. If Espada can lead his team on a deep postseason run, he may have a chance to salvage his job.
Source: USA Today - Bob Nightengale
Source: USA Today - Bob Nightengale
Jeremy Pena Leaves Early Wednesday With "Right-Hand Contusion"
According to the Houston Astros, shortstop Jeremy Pena (hand) left Wednesday's game early against the division-rival Los Angeles Angels due to a "right-hand contusion" after he was hit by a pitch in the first inning. Pena tried to stay in the game but was eventually replaced by pinch-hitter Nick Allen, who also took over for Pena at shortstop. It sounds like the 28-year-old avoided a fracture to his hand, so fantasy managers should consider him day-to-day for now. His next chance to return to the starting lineup will be for Thursday's series finale at Daikin Park against the Halos. Pena came into Wednesday's contest having played in only 78 games in 2026 due to various injuries, but he has hit a strong .284/.339/.471 with an .810 OPS, 14 home runs, 40 RBI, 59 runs scored, and eight stolen bases for the Astros. If Pena misses any more time, Allen will likely be the one to take over at shortstop in Houston. Since the All-Star break, Pena has hit .278 (32-for-115) with an .873 OPS, eight home runs, five doubles, a triple, 18 RBI, and 24 runs scored.
Source: Houston Chronicle - Matt Kawahara
Source: Houston Chronicle - Matt Kawahara
Ethan Pecko Expected to Make MLB Debut on Wednesday
Houston Astros pitching prospect Ethan Pecko is expected to make his MLB debut on Wednesday against the Los Angeles Angels, per Chandler Rome of The Athletic. A sixth-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, Pecko has recorded a 4-6 record with a 4.94 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, and 71 strikeouts across 74 2/3 innings at Triple-A this season. While Pecko's minor league numbers don't leap off the page, he's considered one of the top arms in the Astros farm system. The young right-hander is known for having a good fastball and plus command, and he showed off more strikeout upside after making the initial leap to Triple-A in 2025, posting a 31.8% strikeout rate across 35 innings. Fantasy managers in deeper league formats may want to consider targeting Pecko on the waiver wire ahead of his favorable matchup against the Angels on Wednesday.
Source: The Athletic - Chandler Rome
Source: The Athletic - Chandler Rome
Ethan Pecko Could be on his Way to the Big Leagues With Astros
The Houston Astros scratched right-handed pitching prospect Ethan Pecko from his scheduled start on Sunday afternoon with Triple-A Sugar Land, sources told Chandler Rome of The Athletic. Pecko is healthy and could be called up to the big leagues for a role in the team's upcoming pitching plans. The Astros have a spot in their current starting rotation after right-hander Ronel Blanco was used in long relief in Saturday's loss to the Seattle Mariners. Blanco has struggled mightily since returning from the injured list in late July, posting a 7.71 ERA and 1.46 WHIP in his five outings (four starts). Pecko, meanwhile, who is considered the team's No. 9 prospect per MLB Pipeline, has recorded a 4.57 ERA and 1.33 WHIP with an 86:28 K:BB in 82 2/3 innings over 20 appearances (18 starts) with Single-A Fayetteville and Sugar Land in 2026. The 6-foot-2, 195-pounder sits in the mid-90s with his fastball and also features a tight slider, a cutter, a curveball, and a changeup. Pecko can generate swing and miss with a three-quarters arm slot, but he probably shouldn't be considered much more than a back-end starting pitcher at the next level.
Source: The Athletic - Chandler Rome
Source: The Athletic - Chandler Rome
Jose Altuve Returns From Foot Injury on Friday
Houston Astros second baseman/outfielder Jose Altuve (foot) is starting at second base and batting fifth on Friday for the series opener at Daikin Park against the division-rival Seattle Mariners and right-hander George Kirby, per MLB.com. Altuve fouled a ball off his left foot on Tuesday against the San Francisco Giants and was held out of the series finale on Wednesday as a result. Tests came back negative, though, and Altuve is back in action on Friday after a scheduled day off on Thursday. The 36-year-old Venezuelan veteran and nine-time All-Star will return to face a pitcher that he is pretty familiar with. Altuve has faced Kirby 24 times in his career and is hitting .208 against him with a .488 OPS and just one RBI. Fantasy managers are hoping he can continue his strong month of August in which he has gone 11-for-34 (.324) with an .841 OPS, a homer, a double, five RBI, and five runs scored in only 10 games played. Overall, the former MVP has shown his age in 2026, slashing a mediocre .240/.304/.391 with 13 homers, 35 RBI, 54 runs, and only two steals in 96 total games played in his 16th year in the majors.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Jose Altuve Sidelined With Foot Injury in Series Finale Against Giants
Houston Astros second baseman/outfielder Jose Altuve (foot) is not in the team's starting lineup for Wednesday's series finale against the hosting San Francisco Giants, according to MLB.com. Altuve is undergoing more tests after tests came back negative for a fracture when he was pulled from Tuesday's game early after being hit by a pitch on the left foot. Nick Allen is making the start at the keystone on Wednesday and will bat eighth against Giants right-hander Adrian Houser. Altuve was initially diagnosed with a left-foot contusion and will be considered day-to-day for now. Hopefully, Altuve will be ready to rock for Friday's series opener against the division-rival Seattle Mariners on Friday after a scheduled day off on Thursday. Altuve is nowhere near the power/speed threat at the second base position that he used to be, as he comes into Wednesday's action with a mediocre .240/.304/.391 slash line, .695 OPS, 13 home runs, 35 RBI, 54 runs scored, and two steals in 96 games in 2026. So far in 10 games in August, though, he's gone 11-for-34 (.324) with a homer, a double, five RBI, and five runs scored.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Jose Altuve to Get More Imaging on his Foot on Wednesday
Houston Astros second baseman/outfielder Jose Altuve (foot) had imaging on his foot, which came back negative, manager Joe Espada told Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. Altuve will go for more imaging on Wednesday after being removed from the game following a hit-by-pitch on his left foot against the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday. The 36-year-old veteran, former MVP, and nine-time All-Star was diagnosed with just a contusion, which gives fantasy managers hope that he won't need a stint on the injured list. Check back soon to see if he's available to play in Wednesday's series finale in the Bay Area against the Giants and right-hander Adrian Houser. Altuve is no longer in his prime in his 16th year in the majors, but he's still rostered in 80% of Yahoo leagues and has a .240/.304/.391 slash line with a .695 OPS, 13 home runs, 35 RBI, 54 runs scored, and two stolen bases in 96 games and 409 plate appearances. He's off to a good start in 10 games in August, going 11-for-34 (.324) with a homer, a double, five RBI, and five runs scored.
Source: MLB.com - Brian McTaggart
Source: MLB.com - Brian McTaggart
Cam Smith Seeing it Well in August, Homers Twice Against Padres
Houston Astros outfielder Cam Smith kept his strong start to the month of August going in Friday's 6-3 win over the San Diego Padres at Petco Park, going 3-for-4 at the plate with two home runs, three runs scored, and a strikeout to boost his season average to .222 and his OPS to .686. Both of Smith's home runs on the night were of the solo variety, with his first one coming in the second inning off lefty starter Robbie Ray, and his second coming in the sixth frame off lefty reliever Yuki Matsui. It was Smith's second multi-homer performance of the 2026 season. The 23-year-old former 14th overall pick in 2024 from Florida State University has lowered his strikeout rate to 24.1% in his second MLB season, but the results haven't really followed. On the bright side, Smith is now up to 15 home runs on the year, and he is now 10-for-20 with two home runs, a double, four RBI, and five runs scored in a small sample size of six games to begin August. Fantasy managers desperate for some power in deeper leagues might want to look Smith's way if he stays hot this month. He's rostered in just 9% of Yahoo leagues at the moment.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Astros Bring in Outfielder Daulton Varsho in Trade With Toronto
The Houston Astros acquired center fielder Daulton Varsho from the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday, sources told ESPN's Jeff Passan. The Athletic's Mitch Bannon reports that the Astros sent right-hander Spencer Arrighetti (foot) to the Blue Jays in return for Varsho. The 30-year-old Varsho has been a disappointment at the plate this year in Toronto, but he will immediately bolster the Astros' defense in the outfield. In 333 at-bats in 2026 in his seventh year in the majors (fourth with the Blue Jays), Varsho hit a very mediocre .243/.307/.375 with a .682 OPS, seven home runs, 26 RBI, 39 runs scored, and nine stolen bases in 99 games across 365 plate appearances. He will be set to reach free agency at the end of the 2026 season, so he might turn out to be just a rental for Houston's playoff run. The former second-rounder by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2017 from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee really struggled in July, going 17-for-83 (.205) with a .482 OPS, zero homers, three doubles, four RBI, eight runs scored, two steals, four walks, and 10 strikeouts in 24 games. Houston will be hoping that Varsho can be better than that at the plate going forward.
Source: ESPN.com - Jeff Passan
Source: ESPN.com - Jeff Passan
Tatsuya Imai is Shifting to the Bullpen
Houston Astros starting pitcher Tatsuya Imai will be moved to the bullpen for the time being. Astros manager Joe Espada told reporters on Friday that Imai will move to the bullpen for the upcoming weekend series against the Texas Rangers. It has been mostly a struggle for Imai, so the team will see if he is more reliable out of the bullpen. During his latest start, Imai allowed two earned runs and walked four batters across 0.2 innings of work. The Astros haven't named a replacement to take Imai's spot for Sunday's start, but the expectation is that Peter Lambert will get a chance in the rotation. Imai is unlikely to offer much fantasy value out of the bullpen, so fantasy managers can start looking for a replacement.
Source: Chandler Rome
Source: Chandler Rome
Bryan Abreu Continues to See Fantasy Value Increase Amid Impressive Stretch
Houston Astros right-handed reliever Bryan Abreu got off to a rough start to the 2026 campaign when Josh Hader was still on the injured list, but he has been locked in of late and could be a waiver-wire consideration in deeper fantasy leagues. In the team's 7-4 win over the division-rival Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday, Abreu pitched 1 1/3 shutout innings with no hits allowed, no walks, and a strikeout to pick up his seventh save of the year. The 29-year-old Dominican hurler is 2-3 on the year with a still elevated 4.74 ERA (5.43 FIP) and 1.50 WHIP with 48 strikeouts and 28 walks in 38 innings out of the bullpen. This was Abreu's second save since the All-Star break, but he was only in there because Hader had pitched in four of the previous five days. Still, Abreu has been much better in July, allowing just two earned runs with three walks and 14 strikeouts in 11 innings pitched, and he will definitely be an asset in holds leagues if he continues to pitch like this. Abreu is rostered in 18% of Yahoo leagues.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Yainer Diaz Remains a Deep-League Waiver-Wire Target
Houston Astros catcher Yainer Diaz got off to a rough start to the 2026 season, hitting .238 with just two home runs across his first 106 plate appearances and then suffering an oblique strain in early May that caused him to miss over a month. However, the 27-year-old has shown more power since his return, clubbing four home runs across his last 93 trips to the plate. Diaz was a productive player for fantasy managers in 2025, when he hit .256 with 20 home runs and 70 RBI. He's maintained an above-average strikeout rate (16.1%) so far this year and has been victimized by a subpar .248 batting average on balls in play, which is well below his career mark of .298. Diaz could continue to reach more power in the final months of the regular season, making him a catcher for fantasy managers to monitor on the waiver wire.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Jeremy Pena has Homered Five Times in his Last Six Games
Houston Astros shortstop Jeremy Pena continued his power surge in Sunday's 12-3 blowout loss on the road against the Chicago White Sox, going 2-for-4 out of the leadoff spot with two solo home runs, both against White Sox starter Erick Fedde. The 28-year-old shortstop now has five home runs in his last six games to boost his overall slash line in 2026 to .319/.373/.504 with an .878 OPS, 11 home runs, 30 RBI, 47 runs scored, and eight stolen bases across his 226 at-bats. In his last six games, the Dominican shortstop has gone 13-for-26 (.500) with five dingers, eight RBI, and 10 runs scored. Pena isn't known as a huge power option at the position, but his fantasy managers will take it, especially since he has missed valuable time in 2026 with several different injuries. In a small sample size of 11 games and 47 plate appearances so far in July, Pena is hitting a red-hot .419 (18-for-43) with five home runs, nine RBI, and 13 runs scored for the Astros. He's obviously a must-start in all traditional fantasy baseball leagues while he's rolling offensively.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Isaac Paredes Heating Up in July, Emerging as a Priority Waiver Wire Target
Across 410 plate appearances in 2026, Houston Astros infielder Isaac Paredes is hitting .263/.354/.438 with 14 home runs, 54 RBI, and 42 runs scored. The 27-year-old's overall line is solid, but he's really started to heat up in July. Across 71 plate appearances so far this month, Paredes is hitting .323 with three homers and nine RBI. Paredes has never had elite batted-ball metrics, and he's posted subpar barrel (6.1%) and hard-hit (30.4%) rates once again this season. However, the righty slugger maximizes his power by pulling the ball in the air at a high rate, which is a perfect approach for Houston's short left field. Paredes is also tough to strike out (15.1% strikeout rate), which helps keep his batting average floor high. For fantasy managers in need of power and run production, Paredes is a logical waiver-wire target.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Kevin Alvarez Turning in a Productive Month of July
Houston Astros outfield prospect Kevin Alvarez is adding to his well-rounded statistics this month while in Single-A-ball with the Fayetteville Woodpeckers. In 55 July at-bats, Alvarez has two homers and 11 RBI with 11 runs scored and a .327 batting average. At age 18, Alvarez is the top overall prospect for the Astros out of Cuba. The left-handed hitting outfielder is hitting .278 with eight homers and 41 RBI this season for Fayetteville. Blessed with a 60-grade hit tool, Alvarez has massive potential and is beginning to show that at Single-A. But he's just 18 years old and needs time to mature in the minor leagues. A high-priority dynasty league target, Alvarez is a ways away from producing in the major leagues. It could be two to three seasons before Alvarez is contributing to fantasy leagues, but he is someone fantasy managers won't want to forget about.
Source: Minor League Baseball
Source: Minor League Baseball
