6 positive Astros updates (and 2 not-so-good) have Houston vibing a certain way
The stakes are high
05 March
Josh Hader, Jose Urquidy, and Cristian Javier are looking good in spring training. Composite Getty Image.
As the Houston Astros prepare for the start of the season against Gerrit Cole and the New York Yankees, several encouraging updates were revealed over the weekend.
A slimmer Cristian Javier looked good in his spring debut, and Jose Urquidy had another impressive performance coming off the news that he may have been tipping his pitches last season.
And the Astros new weapon out of the bullpen (Josh Hader) looked great in his first action with the club.
Justin Verlander will be on the IL to start the season unfortunately, but it looks like he won't miss much time. They have just run out of days and don't want to rush the future Hall of Famer.
Justin Verlander's $35 million option for the 2025 season is contingent on him throwing 140 innings in 2024. The Mets are on the hook for $17.5 million of it, should it kick in. https://t.co/vKYpLO0ugn
— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) March 5, 2024
The Athletic's Chandler Rome believes the earliest he can return is April 11 against the Kansas City Royals. Which means we'll likely see Framber Valdez on Opening Day pitching against Cole.
Speaking of Framber, his first start of the spring didn't go very well over the weekend. But there's no reason to be too concerned this early. He's still working with PitchCom and getting used to calling some of his own pitches.
Finally, Astros prospect Forrest Whitley should begin throwing again soon after dealing with a finger injury that has kept him sideline this spring. Will the former first round pick finally be able to contribute to the club in 2024?
Be sure to watch the video above as we discuss Whitley, the rest of the Astros pitching staff, and much more!
Catch Stone Cold 'Stros (an Astros podcast) with Charlie Pallilo, Brandon Strange, and Josh Jordan every Monday on SportsMapHouston's YouTube channel. We'll continue to drop more episodes throughout the week.
With two picks in the second round, the Houston Texans went defense with their first selection. At No. 42 overall, the Texans selected Georgia defensive back Kamari Lassiter. Lassiter should be able to compete Day 1 at nickelback for Houston, according to NFL.com draft expert Daniel Jeremiah.
Draft analyst Lance Zierlein had Lassiter as a second round pick before he ran a 4.64 forty at his pro day. Both Zierlein and Jeremiah projected Lassiter as a third round pick because of his slow forty time.
He may not be fast, but he can really cover. Lassiter allowed 136 pass yards in coverage in 2023, per PFF. The fewest among FBS cornerbacks.
Protecting the franchise
The Texans turned their attention to the offense with their second pick in the round, selecting Notre Dame right tackle Blake Fisher. Jeremiah said on the broadcast that Fisher was the best tackle on his board when the Texans selected him. Jeremiah believes he would have been a first round pick next season if he went back to school. It will be interesting to see if the Texans experiment with Tytus Howard at guard again this year.
In the third round, the Texans traded up to No. 78 overall and selected USC defensive back Calen Bullock. He recorded 9 int, and 15 pass breakups in his career with the Trojans.
Be sure to watch the video above as we react live to the Texans selections on YouTube!
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