How growing skepticism of Houston Astros front office is only part of the story

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How growing skepticism of Houston Astros front office is only part of the story
The Astros need Kyle Tucker more than ever.Composite Getty Image.

As the Astros approach the home stretch of the season, it's become clear that they really miss the pop that Kyle Tucker provides in the middle of the lineup.

They were able to get by without Tucker for a while, but now the offense is really feeling his loss. Especially when it comes to power numbers.

And while fans certainly miss Tucker's contributions on the field, what's going on behind the scenes really has people perplexed.

Why is a bone bruise taking so long to heal? Tucker has been out since injuring his leg on June 3, and the club can't share a date we should expect him to return. SportsMap's Charlie Pallilo posted this on X two days ago.

Deep bone bruises can keep players sidelined for significant periods of time, especially when swelling occurs around the knee. But the Astros' reputation for not being forthcoming with injury details have some fans and media rightfully skeptical.

Case in point. How long did it take for the organization to admit Justin Verlander needed Tommy John surgery a few years back?

Being upfront about injuries is only part of it

The Jose Abreu saga is a perfect example. Anyone with eyes could see that Abreu just couldn't cut it anymore in the big leagues. Yet, Jeff Bagwell and Joe Espada were telling us how much better he looked at the Florida Complex League and spreading the “back of the baseball card” nonsense that upset the entire fanbase.

The point being, if they misrepresented the Abreu situation in some people's eyes, why would things be any different with Tucker?

Personally, I think Tucker's extended absence is just bad luck. But it's hard to give them the benefit of the doubt when every injury update seemingly involves some type of “discomfort.”

Looking ahead

At this point, whether his injury was misdiagnosed or the club kept quiet about the severity of the injury really doesn't matter. We'll probably never know the full story, and the most important thing is Tucker returns to the team ASAP and fully healthy.

Blame Game

Who deserves the heat for the team's approach to free agency before the season?

Have the Astros learned from their mistakes (Abreu, Rafael Montero) while operating without a GM?

And do they already regret the Josh Hader contract?

This is one video you don't want to miss as we try to get to the bottom of the Tucker situation, examine who's the final decision maker in the club's front office, and so much more!

Catch our weekly Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast. Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo discuss varied Astros topics. The first post for the week generally goes up Monday afternoon (second part released Tuesday) via The SportsMap HOU YouTube channel or listen to episodes in their entirety at Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.


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The Texans will look to get back on track this Sunday against the Colts. Composite Getty Image.

C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans are looking for answers after their passing game couldn’t get going in a loss to the Green Bay Packers.

Houston’s passing attack had been a strength all season, and the Texans ranked fifth in yards passing per game through their first six games. But on Sunday at Lambeau Field, Stroud was limited to a career-low 86 yards in the 24-22 loss, which snapped a three-game winning streak.

Stroud was 10 of 21 and didn’t have a touchdown pass for the first time this season. The second-year player was under duress for much of the day and was sacked four times and hit seven other times.

“We have to go back to the drawing board and see what those issues were,” coach DeMeco Ryans said. “As we watch the film, we’ll see what happened, starting for me the communication and just guys being on the details of the job.”

The Texans scored a season-high 41 points in a win over New England a week earlier in which Stroud threw a season-best three touchdown passes despite being without star receiver Nico Collins.

They were unable to replicate that success Sunday with Collins out for the second of at least four games after a hamstring injury landed him on injured reserve.

Stefon Diggs led the team with five receptions against the Packers, but they only amounted to 23 yards. Tank Dell, who the Texans expected to step up with Collins out, was targeted four times but didn’t have a catch.

Stroud discussed the importance of getting Dell more involved in the offense.

“We have to find a way to try and get him the rock early and often and then go from there,” he said. “It has to be a focus for us, not only just him, but the whole offense clicking early. That is really my job to get the ball out on time and to where it is supposed to go. So yeah, that definitely has to be fixed.”

Ryans spoke about his confidence is getting Dell going.

What's working

The Texans have forced seven turnovers combined in their last two games after they hadn’t caused any in their previous three games.

Houston scored 16 points off three turnovers Sunday. The Texans had two interceptions and recovered a fumble on a punt. In their win over the Patriots, they scored 17 points off a season-high four turnovers.

What needs help

The Texans won’t get to where they want to be this season if Stroud doesn’t get back on track. Before Sunday, last year’s AP Offensive Rookie of the Year was averaging more than 262 yards passing a game, giving the team confidence that the problems in the passing game are fixable.

Ryans knows the line must give Stroud more time to throw and said the coaching staff will focus on improving in that area this week.

Stock up

RB Joe Mixon continued to shine Sunday in his second game back after missing three games with an ankle injury. Mixon, who is in his first season in Houston after a trade from Cincinnati, had 25 carries for 115 yards and two touchdowns against Green Bay.

Mixon is confident the Texans will rebound this week if they quit making mistakes.

“Does it look I’m worried? I’m not worried at all,” he said. “Like I said, we got a ... good football team. At the end of the day, we are our own worst enemy.”

Stock down

Dell was unable to help Stroud get the passing game going. The second-year player had a solid rookie season with 709 yards receiving and seven touchdowns in 11 games before breaking his leg. But he hasn’t been able to build on that success this year and has just 194 yards receiving with one score in six games.

Injuries

LB Azeez Al-Shaair (knee), LB Henry To’oTo’o (concussion), CB Kamari Lassiter (shoulder) and S Jimmie Ward (groin) all missed Sunday’s game and it’s unclear if any of these starters can return this week.

Key number

3 — Safety Calen Bullock had his third interception Sunday to tie Dunta Robinson and Jumal Rolle for most interceptions by a rookie in franchise history through the first seven games. He leads NFL rookies in interceptions this season and is tied for third-most among all players.

Next steps

The AFC South-leading Texans (5-2) return to division play Sunday when they host the second-place Colts (4-3), who have won two in a row and four of five.

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