With the lockout over, here's what you need to know about the Astros upcoming season
BASEBALL IS BACK!
10 March 2022
Play ball! Composite image by Brandon Strange
With the MLB lockout finally behind us, let's take a look at what's changed for this season, and how it impacts the Astros.
Astros fans will get a full 162 game season in 2022 with Opening Day now taking place on April 7. All the fans wondering about Carlos Correa should know that free agency will begin once the CBA is ratified. Which could be as soon as today. As far as spring training, players will have to report by March 13 with games starting on March 17.
Astros fans have to like the DH being adopted by the National League this season, which means no more worrying about finding a way to get Yordan Alvarez in the lineup for interleague and World Series away games without moving Michael Brantley to right field.
Speaking of playoffs, 12 teams will now make the playoffs beginning this season. And finally, the CBT will begin at 230 million and increase to 244 million.
As bad as the lockout was, at least we will get a full season of baseball, and that's good news for Astros fans. The Astros are the AL favorite to win the World Series, tied with the Yankees at +900 on Bovada.
Astros offense flickered — and then the Rays took over
May 31, 2025, 7:02 pm
Junior Caminero hit two of Tampa Bay’s season-high five home runs and Zack Littell threw his first career complete game as the Rays sailed to a 16-3 victory over the Houston Astros Saturday.
Littell (5-5) allowed 10 hits and three runs with six strikeouts. The Rays have won each of Littell’s last seven starts and he’s 5-0 in that stretch.
The 21-year-old Caminero had a career-best four hits and drove in five runs. The performance comes after he set a career high with six RBIs on Thursday in a 13-3 victory.
Yandy Díaz, Jake Mangum and Josh Lowe also homered for the Rays, who had a season-best 18 hits and whose 16 runs tied a season high.
Díaz had a two-run shot in the third and Caminero put the Rays in front 4-3 with his solo homer to the seats in left field to start the fourth.
Tampa Bay led by 2 when Brandon Lowe extended his hitting streak to a career-long 13 games with an RBI double with one out in the sixth. Caminero followed with double to make it 7-3.
Mangum, a rookie who came off the injured list Friday, smacked a ball to the bullpen in right-center for his first career homer to push the lead to 9-3 and a two-run shot by Josh Lowe left Tampa Bay up 11-3.
There were two on with one out in the eighth when Caminero went deep again to make it 14-3 and give him his first career multi-homer game.
La Tormenta strikes early.#BuiltForThis pic.twitter.com/E497cfEkbO
— Houston Astros (@astros) May 31, 2025
Jeremy Peña homered twice for the Astros, who fell to 1-2 in this four-game series.
HE'S FEELIN' IT!#BuiltForThis pic.twitter.com/IolXlk8nPw
— Houston Astros (@astros) May 31, 2025
Houston starter Colton Gordon (0-1) allowed five hits and four runs in five innings.
Key moment
Tampa Bay’s six-run seventh inning made it 11-3.
Key stat
Tampa Bay allowed four or fewer runs for the 12th straight game, which is the team’s longest streak since a 16-game stretch to end the 2021 season.
Up next
Tampa Bay’s Taj Bradley (4-4, 4.38 ERA) opposes RHP Hunter Brown (7-3, 2.00) when the series concludes Sunday.
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