How Houston Texans OTAs bring big energy and early surprises

REVAMPED OFFENSE ON DISPLAY

Houston Texans CJ Stroud
CJ Stroud didn't do much on Wednesday. Photo by Alex Bierens de Haan/Getty Images.

It's that time of year again! Houston Texans voluntary OTAs got cranking on Wednesday, and once again the team had a great showing from many of their top players.

Who's in attendance?

 

Let's start with some big names not in attendance. They include Joe Mixon, Christian Harris, Danielle Hunter, and new safety CJ Gardner-Johnson.

As you can see in DJ Bien-Aime's post above, some of the missing players were in the training room.

Interesting note from KPRC 2's Aaron Wilson. Mixon has been in a walking boot, but the issue is reportedly minor.

 

What does the revamped o-line look like?

Head coach DeMeco Ryans discussed the group and said we should expect a lot of “mixing and matching” as the team looks to find their best five linemen.

Wilson is reporting that rookie second-round pick Aireontae Ersery got work in at both left and right tackle.

Bien-Aime shared below what the first team o-line looked like when going through drills.

 

Cam Robinson at left tackle, Laken Tomlinson left guard, Jake Andrews center, Tytus Howard right guard, and Blake Fisher at right tackle. Jarrett Patterson also got some work in at center. Fascinating that Howard was at RG, since he played LG for most of the season. Ersery also rotated in at RT.

How does CJ Stroud look?

 

Stroud is in attendance, but not doing much. Davis Mills is throwing to the receivers.

 

How do the new receivers look?

 

You can watch Nico Collins (No. 12), Jaylin Noel (No. 82), Jayden Higgins (No. 81) and more going through drills in the video above.

 

Loving this new receiver group! The youth and talent infusion should pay huge dividends.


In conclusion

It's nice to see the guys back in action and to get a sneak peek at the new faces that have joined the squad. It should be a fun year watching the Texans piece together their new-look offense! Go Texans!

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Can top prospect Brice Matthews give Houston a boost? Composite Getty Image.

What looked like a minor blip after an emotional series win in Los Angeles has turned into something more concerning for the Houston Astros.

Swept at home by a Guardians team that came in riding a 10-game losing streak, the Astros were left looking exposed. Not exhausted, as injuries, underperformance, and questionable decision-making converged to hand Houston one of its most frustrating series losses of the year.

 

Depth finally runs dry

 

It would be easy to point to a “Dodger hangover” as the culprit, the emotional peak of an 18-1 win at Chavez Ravine followed by a mental lull. But that’s not the story here.

Houston’s energy was still evident, especially in the first two games of the series, where the offense scored five or more runs each time. Including those, the Astros had reached that mark in eight of their last 10 games heading into Wednesday’s finale.

But scoring isn’t everything, not when a lineup held together by duct tape and desperation is missing Christian Walker and Jake Meyers and getting critical at-bats from Cooper Hummel, Zack Short, and other journeymen.

The lack of depth finally showed. The Astros, for three days, looked more like a Triple-A squad with Jose Altuve and a couple big-league regulars sprinkled in.

 

Cracks in the pitching core

 

And the thing that had been keeping this team afloat, elite pitching, finally buckled.

Hunter Brown and Josh Hader, both dominant all season, finally cracked. Brown gave up six runs in six innings, raising his pristine 1.82 ERA to 2.21. Hader wasn’t spared either, coughing up a game-losing grand slam in extra innings that inflated his ERA from 1.80 to 2.38 in one night.

But the struggles weren’t isolated. Bennett Sousa, Kaleb Ort, and Steven Okert each gave up runs at critical moments. The bullpen’s collective fade could not have come at a worse time for a team already walking a tightrope.

 

Injury handling under fire

 

Houston’s injury management is also drawing heat, and rightfully so. Jake Meyers, who had been nursing a calf strain, started Wednesday’s finale. He didn’t even make it through one pitch before aggravating the injury and needing to be helped off the field.

No imaging before playing him. No cautionary rest despite the All-Star break looming. Just a rushed return in a banged-up lineup, and it backfired immediately.

Second-guessing has turned to outright criticism of the Astros’ medical staff, as fans and analysts alike wonder whether these mounting injuries are being made worse by how the club is handling them.

 

Pressure mounts on Dana Brown

 

All eyes now turn to Astros GM Dana Brown. The Astros are limping into the break with no clear reinforcements on the immediate horizon. Only Chas McCormick is currently rehabbing in Sugar Land. Everyone else? Still sidelined.

Brown will need to act — and soon.

At a minimum, calling up top prospect Brice Matthews makes sense. He’s been mashing in Triple-A (.283/.400/.476, 10 HR, .876 OPS) and could play second base while Jose Altuve shifts to left field more regularly. With Mauricio Dubón stretched thin between shortstop and center, injecting Matthews’ upside into the infield is a logical step.

*Editor's note: The Astros must be listening, Matthews was called up Thursday afternoon!

 

There’s also trade chatter, most notably about Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins, but excitement has been tepid. His numbers don’t jump off the page, but compared to who the Astros are fielding now, Mullins would be a clear upgrade and a much-needed big-league presence.

 

A final test before the break

 

Before the All-Star reset, Houston gets one last chance to stabilize the ship, and it comes in the form of a rivalry series against the Texas Rangers. The Astros will send their top trio — Lance McCullers Jr., Framber Valdez, and Hunter Brown — to the mound for a three-game set that will test their resolve, their health, and perhaps their postseason aspirations.

The Silver Boot is up for grabs. So is momentum. And maybe, clarity on just how far this version of the Astros can go.

There's so much more to discuss! Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!

The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday.

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*ChatGPT assisted.

Looking to get the word out about your business, products, or services? Consider advertising on SportsMap! It's a great way to get in front of Houston sports fans. Click the link below for more information!

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