How Houston Astros look to address major red flags in critical positions
RED ALERT!
20 March
Big decisions looming for Houston! Composite Getty Image.
This week started on a positive note for Astros fans as they witnessed Lance McCullers take the mound for the first time since 2022. The right-hander needed just 13 pitches to complete his inning of work, showing signs of the form that made him a key piece of Houston’s rotation. If he continues progressing without setbacks, it wouldn’t be surprising to see McCullers back with the big-league club by the end of April or early May.
However, the news isn't as encouraging for Luis Garcia, who is still recovering from Tommy John surgery. Originally scheduled to throw live batting practice on Thursday, Garcia is now facing a delay due to elbow soreness. Multiple reports indicate that he will be evaluated by team doctors, adding another layer of uncertainty to his rehab process.
Garcia’s recovery has been anything but smooth. According to Chandler Rome, the expectation was that Garcia would return before McCullers, but complications have forced the Astros to slow his rehab down. If Garcia is shut down for several weeks, even in a best-case scenario, it’s unlikely he will be able to contribute over the next three months. The Astros will need to be cautious with his recovery, as the last thing they want is for him to require another surgery.
Fortunately for Houston, neither McCullers nor Garcia were expected to start the season in the rotation. However, their returns were seen as potential boosts to the pitching staff later in the year. This also serves as a reminder that Tommy John recoveries can take longer than the typical 12 to 18 months. That reality makes it difficult to count on Cristian Javier, who underwent the procedure last June, to make an impact in 2025.
Altuve’s transition to left field raises concerns
Jose Altuve had been making steady progress adjusting to left field in spring training. However, after a couple of dropped fly balls, some fans are questioning whether the experiment should continue. The errors occurred as Altuve tried to rush his throws to prevent runners from tagging up. Without the pressure of making a quick throw, he likely would have secured both catches.
Despite these struggles, Altuve has shown good range, making solid plays on balls hit into the left-center gap. His transition may take time, and the key will be ensuring these mistakes don’t get into his head. Altuve has battled confidence issues before, particularly in 2020 when he struggled with throwing to first base. He overcame those challenges, and if he stays focused, he should be fine in left field.
Cam Smith making strong case for Opening Day roster
Heading into spring training, it seemed unlikely that rookie phenom Cam Smith would break camp with the big-league team. The expectation was that Chas McCormick would get the first shot in right field. However, Smith’s scorching performance this spring may force the Astros’ hand. He’s hitting .419 with a team-leading four home runs, 11 RBIs, and a staggering .871 slugging percentage with a 1.371 OPS.
McCormick, to his credit, has been disciplined at the plate, drawing 11 walks and posting a .415 on-base percentage. However, his power numbers have been underwhelming, with a mere .179 slugging percentage and just one extra-base hit.
Given Smith’s explosive bat, the Astros may have no choice but to give him an opportunity to prove himself at the major-league level. If he struggles, they can always send him down to the minors for further development. But at this point, Smith’s performance is too good to ignore as Opening Day approaches.
We have so much more to cover. Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
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How Houston Cougars' success is linked to this common NCAA Tournament theme
Mar 25, 2025, 1:28 pm
Houston and Gonzaga met in a second-round NCAA Tournament matchup last weekend in Wichita, Kansas, that could as easily have been played in the Final Four, the way Kelvin Sampson's and Mark Few's teams had played throughout the season.
The Cougars were No. 1 in scoring defense, more than a half-point better than the next-best team. The Bulldogs were No. 2 in scoring offense, trailing only Alabama in putting up nearly 87 points per game.
Yet one of the biggest reasons that Houston was able to advance to the Sweet 16 with an 81-76 victory over the Bulldogs was its ability to play any style of basketball. Sure, the Cougars managed to hold Gonzaga nearly 10 points below its season average, but they also ramped up their own scoring, proving that they are more than just a bunch of defensive stoppers.
“Just win and advance,” Sampson said afterward. “Do what it takes. That's all that matters.”
Throughout the 68-team field, those that were able to survive the first weekend were often those that were willing to change things up if the moment dictated it. The defensive dynamo was able to get into transition and pile up points, or the team that loves to score buckled down at the other end of the floor, making life difficult for its unsuspecting opponent.
That has been the case with Mississippi so far in the tournament.
The Rebels rolled into the postseason in the top 50 nationally in scoring, but their defense was middling at best: 175th out of the 364 teams in men's Division I basketball. Yet the same bunch who scored 98 points against Kentucky and 100 against Oral Roberts in the regular season stifled North Carolina in a 71-64 first-round win, then held Iowa State below its season scoring average in a 91-78 victory that pushed Ole Miss into the regional semifinals.
“Their defensive versatility is terrific,” Iowa State coach T.J. Otzelberger marveled afterward. “Their switch ability — guards on bigs, bigs on guards. They do a great job. Their defense really tries to frustrate you by not allowing the ball to get in the paint, and trying to keep it on one side of the floor. And when they're at their best, they're doing that really well.”
It will take Ole Miss doing it at their best with Michigan State up next; the Spartans are among the most versatile of any team left. They are top 50 in both scoring and defense, and they showed it off last weekend, putting up 87 points against Bryant and holding New Mexico to 63 in a pair of wins.
“We're just a team that can play multiple ways,” the Spartans' Jaden Akins said.
So is Duke, which was fourth nationally in scoring and sixth in scoring defense. And when you have that combination, the results in the opening weekend were not surprising: 93-49 over Mount St. Mary's and 89-66 over Baylor.
Kentucky was sixth nationally in scoring this season, but coach Mark Pope's bunch — 315th in scoring defense — played a more patient game with plenty of success in a 76-57 first-round win over Wofford. It wasn't a surprise that Arizona averaged 90 points in wins over Akron and Oregon, but it may have been that the Wildcats held the Zips to just 65 in the first round.
Then there's Alabama, which looked every bit like the nation's highest-scoring team in a tougher-than-expected first-round win over Robert Morris and a second-round blitz of Saint Mary's. But the Crimson Tide also looked a lot like, say, Houston the way it defended the Gaels, holding them to just 66 points in advancing to the Sweet 16.
That's where the Crimson Tide will face BYU, a team that plays much more like itself.
“I don’t know that I want to say it’s refreshing to go against somebody that plays like us,” Tide coach Nate Oats said, "because I think we’re really tough to guard, and we’ve led the country in scoring the last two years. I don’t think anybody is saying it’s refreshing to play Alabama, whoever is running the defense for the other team. I mean, maybe it’s not such a smash-mouth game like playing football out there like some of these teams, but they’re not easy to cover.
“We’re going to have to really lock in and coaches are going to have to really do a good job getting our guys ready and then our guys are going to have to execute what the plan is, whatever we decide to put in.”
