The Houston Astros came away with a series win over the AL leading Baltimore Orioles this week despite some underwhelming production from Jose Abreu in games one and two.
This shouldn't come as a surprise, as Abreu has struggled for most of the season. What is concerning though is despite how bad he was in the first half, his batting average and slugging percentage are actually worse in the 23 games he's played since the All-Star break.
And even though Abreu has been hitting in the heart of the Astros order, he's gone nine straight games without an RBI.
Something to monitor
Abreu didn't play in the finale against the Orioles, and he's reportedly dealing with some back discomfort. Hopefully his poor performance is due to his back issue, as opposed to him falling off a cliff statistically at age 36. Injuries typically heal. Father Time is undefeated.
With the Astros calling up Jon Singleton, and Dusty Baker moving Abreu behind Chas McCormick in the lineup recently, perhaps Houston's manager is starting to realize the reality of the situation. Abreu is the 8th-worst hitter in baseball based on his OPS, and should no longer be hitting in front of Chas McCormick moving forward.
With Baker starting to come around to the reality of the situation, we could see Yainer Diaz and Singleton getting more opportunities at first base. At least, we hope so. It's one thing to play Martin Maldonado as much as he does. Playing both of these guys regularly is one of the reasons the offense has been in the middle of the pack for most of the season.
Big picture
If Abreu is unable to get things going this year, what will the Astros do? Our guess, they blame his struggles in 2023 on a down year and a change of scenery, showing their full confidence in him publicly. Privately, however, they can't just hope he'll turn things around. They'll have to add some low-key reinforcements to the squad that can take his place in 2024 should he continue to struggle at the plate.
The Astros will still owe him $39 million for the 2024 and 2025 seasons. Which will be a tough pill for owner Jim Crane to swallow. But he wants to win. If Abreu is keeping the team down, we think he'll be on board with exploring some other options at first base.
Plus, Astros GM Dana Brown had nothing to do with this contract, so it's not on him if the Abreu experiment fails.
Editor's note: This video was shot before Abreu's back discomfort was reported.
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4 important elements that could tip the scales in Texans-Colts matchup
Oct 25, 2024, 2:30 pm
The Houston Texans aren’t concerned about C.J. Stroud after the quarterback had the worst statistical game of his young career in a loss at Green Bay last week.
They have no doubt he’ll bounce back Sunday when the AFC South-leading Texans (5-2) host second-place Indianapolis (4-3), where they’ll try to sweep the season series for just the second time in franchise history.
“C.J. handles adversity really well because he’s really grounded ... and it doesn’t dictate who he is or change his personality and what he’s about,” coach DeMeco Ryans said. “So, I’m excited to see how, not only C.J., but how everyone responds after losing a game.”
Stroud, in his second year, had a career-low 86 yards passing and didn’t throw a touchdown pass for the first time this season as the Packers beat Houston 24-22 to snap a three-game winning streak.
Instead of dwelling on his bad game, Stroud is using it as a learning experience.
“Not everything goes your way and it is all about how you respond,” he said. “For me, I just watch the film, be critical on myself and just get better from there.”
Indianapolis quarterback Anthony Richardson also had a tough game last week against Miami in his return after missing almost three full games with an injured right hip, He completed just 41.7% of his passes for 129 yards.
But the good news for the Colts is that they won despite his struggles after the second-year pro led them to two fourth quarter field goals in the 16-10 victory.
Coach Shane Steichen said it’s important to remember that Richardson still doesn’t have much NFL experience because of all the games he has missed with injuries.
“We’re just trying to look for growth week in and week out,” he said. “I think he’s played nine games in the NFL now and going into another one with an opponent that he’s went against, so it’s good. He’s seeing some familiar faces. So, excited for Sunday for him.”
Mixon's work
Houston running back Joe Mixon has had at least 100 yards rushing in each of the three full games he has played this season. But his best game this season came in a win over the Colts in the season opener.
Mixon was named AFC offensive player of the week after carrying the ball a career-high 30 times for 159 yards and a touchdown in the 29-27 victory. Of his 159 yards, 101 came after contact.
Now he’ll face the Colts again after they gave up 188 yards rushing last week to the Dolphins. Indianapolis ranks second to last in the NFL by allowing 159.9 yards rushing a game.
Indianapolis defensive coordinator Gus Bradley said the addition of Mixon, a former Bengal, has boosted Houston’s offense.
“What’s made them even more complete is their run game. Now they can run the ball,” he said. “Joe Mixon is a great back and someone you’ve got to be aware of in the run game."
Taylor made
All-Pro running back Jonathan Taylor missed Indy’s last three games with a sprained ankle, but barring a setback later this week it appears he’ll play Sunday.
The first indication came Wednesday when Taylor was a full participant in Indy’s practice after missing every workout for the past three weeks. What will it mean for the Colts to have one of their top playmakers back on the field?
“It will be huge,” Steichen said. “Obviously, we know what JT brings to the table and Goodie (Tyler Goodson) and Trey (Sermon) did a hell of a job, but getting JT back in the fold will be big.”
Pro Bowl pickup
Linebacker Devin White, who made the Pro Bowl in 2021, joined the Texans this week and Ryans said he could help against the Colts.
White signed a one-year contract with the Eagles this offseason, but didn’t play before being released earlier this month. He was inactive for the first four games and then ruled out of the fifth game because of personal reasons before his release.
White was the fifth overall pick in the 2019 draft and spent five seasons with the Buccaneers before signing with the Eagles. Ryans isn’t worried about why things didn’t work out for him in Philadelphia and is looking forward to seeing him bounce back in Houston.
“He went top 10 in the draft, he was an exceptional talent,” Ryans said. “So, what happened and why he’s here, no one knows. Life happens to us all. You just have to keep punching, keep attacking each day with the right mindset and the opportunity for Devin is to come in here and compete.”
Close calls
The Colts lost their last two meetings with Houston by two and four points, both in Indianapolis. But one thing Steichen’s team has excelled at in his first 24 games as coach is winning close contests.
Indy is 11-6 in one-score games during Steichen’s tenure with every game this season decided by six or fewer points. The secret to Indy’s success is simple — they limit both penalties and turnovers.
“You want to play smart football, I think that’s part of it,” Steichen said. “You’ve got to preach that, but you’ve got to go do it. You’ve got to be disciplined, and it happens on the practice field. You’ve got to correct it on the practice field. And I think finding ways to finish and really having that relentless pursuit at the end of games to finish those games.”