
Jacob Martin is returning to Houston. Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images
The Houston Texans have sparked a lot of excitement this offseason with an impressive draft and by signing some quality players in free agency.
Apparently, the Texans are not done making moves. According to multiple reports, the team is signing former Texan and pass rusher Jacob Martin to a 1-year deal.
Reunion: The #Texans are signing pass-rusher Jacob Martin to a 1-year deal, source said. He played on the edge for Houston from 2019-2021 before landing with the #Jets and #Broncos last year.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 19, 2023
Martin, now 27 years old, played for Houston from 2019-2021and had his best season with the team in 2021 when he recorded 4 sacks, 5 TFL, 6 QB hits, and one safety.
Martin played for both the Jets and Broncos in 2022 with 2.5 sacks in 13 games.
Martin joins fellow defensive ends Jerry Hughes, Jonathan Greenard, Demone Harris, Chase Winovich, Derek Rivers, Adedayo Odeleye, Ali Gaye, Dylan Horton, and Will Anderson on the Texans roster.
Astros turn to reinforcements as they eye another key win
May 20, 2025, 4:43 pm
The Houston Astros will aim to lock up a series victory Tuesday night as they face the Tampa Bay Rays in the second game of a three-game set. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. ET.
Houston (25–22) took the opener 4–3 on Monday and has now won five of its last ten games, continuing a recent surge that has pulled them back above .500 and into second place in the AL West. Tampa Bay (21–26) sits fourth in the AL East and has struggled to find consistency, especially at home where they are now just 11–18.
The Astros will turn to left-hander Brandon Walter, who is set to make his season debut. Walter, a depth option from the Astros' system, gets the nod with the club working through recent rotation injuries.
The Rays counter with right-hander Zack Littell (3–5, 4.31 ERA), who has been solid but not dominant across his first nine starts. He’s struck out 32 batters in 54.1 innings with a strong 1.12 WHIP.
Team trends
Houston holds the AL’s fifth-best team on-base percentage (.318) and has gone 6–4 over its last 10 games, posting a .252 batting average and a 3.78 team ERA in that span. Tampa Bay is 5–5 over its last 10, hitting .236 while their pitching staff has combined for a 4.34 ERA.
Players to watch
- Jake Meyers continues to provide timely power for Houston, while Isaac Paredes has been one of Houston's steadiest hitters, going 11-for-37 with three home runs over his last 10 games.
- Jonathan Aranda leads the Rays with a .309 batting average and has been a consistent bat in the middle of their lineup.
- Chandler Simpson, a recent spark plug for Tampa, is hitting .364 over his last 10 games.
Betting line
According to BetMGM, the Astros are slight road favorites at -114, with the Rays at -105. The over/under is set at 9.5 runs, signaling expectations for a potentially high-scoring matchup.
With the series opener in their pocket and Walter making his first appearance of the year, the Astros will look to keep momentum rolling in Tampa and inch closer to the top of the AL West standings.
Here's a look at Tuesday's night's lineup:
Game 2 in the sunshine state.
⚾️: 6:05pm CT | 7:05pm ET
📺: @SpaceCityHN
🎙️: @SportsTalk790 | Spanish: 93.3 FM#BuiltForThis x @reliantenergy pic.twitter.com/5IXQCbyGsE
— Houston Astros (@astros) May 20, 2025
Yainer Diaz gets the night off, with Victor Caratini catching Walter in his big league debut. Chas McCormick is in the lineup again playing left field, and Zach Dezenzo gets the nod in the DH spot.