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Houston Texans reveal latest injury update on breakout receiver Tank Dell

Texans CJ Stroud, Tank Dell
Will Tank Dell miss any games? Composite Getty Image.

Houston Texans owner Cal McNair said Monday that receiver Tank Dell will make a “full recovery” after he was wounded in a shootout at a Florida restaurant last month.

McNair did not provide details on the nature of Dell's injury, but the team called it a “minor wound” the day after the April 27th shooting, which also injured nine others.

Speaking before the team’s annual charity golf classic, McNair called the situation “frightening” before providing an update on Dell.

“It looks like Tank will make a full recovery,” he said. “We saw him in the office the other day and he looked good, in good spirits. But he’ll have to rehab and get back to where he was.”

Coach DeMeco Ryans was cagey when asked about Dell, refusing to directly answer the question when asked if he expected him to be ready for Week 1.

“Tank should be fine,” he said.

Ryans said that he’s spoken to Dell several times since the shooting and that they had a "good conversation."

Later when pressed about whether he would miss practice time Ryans again deflected.

“I’ve answered all that about Tank — he’ll be all right,” Ryans said.

Dell was drafted in the third round in 2023 after a standout career at the University of Houston. He had 709 yards receiving and set a franchise rookie record with seven touchdown receptions last season before breaking his left fibula in December.

Ryans said in April that Dell had recovered from that injury and would be ready to practice when the team began workouts before he was injured in the shooting.

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Joe Espada's lineup card looks a little different. Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images.

After a rough weekend and a five-game home losing streak looming large, the Houston Astros return to Daikin Park on Monday night looking to get back on track against the visiting Washington Nationals. This three-game set opens a critical homestand for the first-place Astros, who, despite the skid, still lead the AL West with a 60-46 record.

Houston will turn to its ace, Framber Valdez, who’s quietly piecing together one of the most dominant seasons in the league. The left-hander is 11-4 with a 2.67 ERA and 129 strikeouts — and when he’s on, he’s a stopper in every sense.

The Nationals counter with Brad Lord, who brings a solid 3.39 ERA into the matchup but has just two wins in 7 starts. Lord’s numbers suggest he's pitched better than his record shows, though his 1.26 WHIP could be tested against a Houston lineup that has proven dangerous when clicking. The Astros are 33-7 this season when scoring at least five runs — the formula is no secret.

At the plate, José Altuve continues to anchor Houston’s offense, hitting .280 with 17 homers and 17 doubles on the year. The supporting cast has been inconsistent of late, with the Astros averaging just .241 and getting outscored by 17 runs over their last 10 games. Rookie Brice Matthews has shown flashes, with three homers in his last 10 games, but Houston is still searching for a rhythm without key power bats fully healthy.

The Nationals arrive in Houston at 43-62, last in the NL East but coming off a competitive 5-5 stretch. James Wood, one of their key young pieces, has slugged 24 homers and added 21 doubles while batting .263. Josh Bell has also been swinging the bat well, collecting 12 hits in his last 39 at-bats.

The Astros hold a 33-23 mark at Daikin Park this season, and they’ll try to lean on home-field advantage — something that’s recently been elusive — to jumpstart a second-half push. With the trade deadline approaching and the division tightening, Houston knows it can’t afford to drop games to teams below .500.

First pitch is set for 8:10 p.m. ET, with the Astros listed as heavy -232 favorites on BetMGM’s sportsbook. The over/under is 7.5, a nod to the belief that pitching could dominate this series opener.

Injuries

You can see all the updates in Brian McTaggart's post below.

 

It sounds like Jeremy Pena will return the soonest, followed by Spencer Arrighetti. Pena is playing for Sugar Land on Tuesday.

 

Joe Espada is shuffling his lineup

Taylor Trammell is leading off and playing right field, with Cam Smith getting the night off. Altuve is once again hitting second and playing left field and is followed by the DH, Victor Caratini. Christian Walker will hit cleanup and play first base, no surprise there.

Jacob Melton has been recalled to the big league roster and Jon Singleton has been DFA'd. So Melton will hit fifth and play center field followed by Yainer Diaz (C), Mauricio Dubon (3B), Brice Matthews (2B), and Zack Short (SS).

 

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