BROWN VS. HEANEY
Houston Astros eye critical wins in clash with Rangers
Aug 5, 2024, 12:42 pm
Hunter Brown takes the ball for Houston Monday night. Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images.
Houston Astros (57-54, second in the AL West) vs. Texas Rangers (53-59, third in the AL West)
Arlington, Texas; Monday, 8:05 p.m. EDT
PITCHING PROBABLES: Astros: Hunter Brown (9-7, 4.11 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 126 strikeouts); Rangers: Andrew Heaney (4-11, 4.12 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 107 strikeouts)
BETMGM SPORTSBOOK: LINE Astros -125, Rangers +106; over/under is 8 1/2 runs
BOTTOM LINE: The Texas Rangers host the Houston Astros to start a three-game series.
Texas has gone 30-25 at home and 53-59 overall. The Rangers are 38-19 in games when they record eight or more hits.
Houston is 57-54 overall and 25-28 in road games. The Astros are 43-5 in games when they scored at least five runs.
The teams meet Monday for the 11th time this season. The season series is tied 5-5.
TOP PERFORMERS: Josh Smith has a .279 batting average to lead the Rangers, and has 20 doubles, a triple and 11 home runs. Corey Seager is 14-for-41 with three home runs and five RBI over the last 10 games.
Yordan Alvarez has 26 doubles, two triples and 20 home runs while hitting .301 for the Astros. Yainer Diaz is 17-for-39 with four doubles, a triple and two home runs over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Rangers: 3-7, .236 batting average, 6.76 ERA, outscored by 28 runs
Astros: 5-5, .243 batting average, 3.50 ERA, outscored by one run
INJURIES: Rangers: Jake Latz: 15-Day IL (forearm), Max Scherzer: 15-Day IL (shoulder), Evan Carter: 60-Day IL (lumbar), Jon Gray: 15-Day IL (groin), Cole Winn: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Tyler Mahle: 60-Day IL (elbow), Jacob deGrom: 60-Day IL (elbow), Carson Coleman: 60-Day IL (elbow)
Astros: Kyle Tucker: 60-Day IL (shin), Justin Verlander: 15-Day IL (neck), Cristian Javier: 60-Day IL (forearm), Jose Urquidy: 60-Day IL (forearm), Oliver Ortega: 60-Day IL (elbow), Bennett Sousa: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Penn Murfee: 60-Day IL (elbow), Luis Garcia: 60-Day IL (elbow), Lance McCullers Jr.: 60-Day IL (elbow), Kendall Graveman: 60-Day IL (elbow)
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This week started on a high note for Astros fans as they were able to see Lance McCullers return and pitch in a game for the first time since 2022. McCullers looked good, only needing 13 pitches to get through the inning, and didn't allow any runs.
If McCullers continues on this path without any setbacks, we wouldn't be surprised if he's pitching for the big league club at the end of April or early May.
However, the outlook isn't nearly as positive for Luis Garcia, who is working his way back from Tommy John surgery. Garcia was expected to throw a live BP on Thursday, but those plans have now changed. According to multiple reports, Garcia is dealing with elbow soreness and will now see team doctors for further evaluation.
Luis Garcia faced hitters in October and, almost all winter, was considered ahead of Lance McCullers Jr. in their rehab schedules. It's unclear how things have derailed. The Astros reiterated this week they will not make any member of their medical staff available for interviews https://t.co/rrBg6EaG7j
— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) March 20, 2025
This isn't the first time Garcia has dealt with a setback in his recovery. As Chandler Rome mentions in the post above, Garcia was expected to be ready to return before McCullers. However, complications have apparently forced the Astros to slow down Garcia's rehab, making his status for this season even more uncertain.
Fortunately for Houston, they weren't counting on Garcia or McCullers to start the season in the rotation. But, they were hoping to have both return at some point this year to add more depth to the roster.
If Garcia is shut down from throwing for several weeks, even in a best-case scenario, it's hard to imagine he'll be ready to contribute over the next three months. The Astros would be wise to play it safe with Garcia, the last thing they want to happen is for him to need another surgery.
This also serves as a reminder that pitchers often require more than the typical 12–18 months to recover. Which is why counting on Cristian Javier to contribute this season, feels like a big ask for a player that had Tommy John surgery in June.