Texans Transactions
Texans pick up Kevin Johnson's fifth-year option
Apr 30, 2018, 1:25 pm
Kevin Johnson will have another year to prove he can stay healthy. Photo by John Grieshop/Getty Images
Just two days after the completion of the NFL Draft, the Texans opted to exercise cornerback Kevin Johnson's fifth-year option. This move makes a lot of sense after Houston waited until the seventh round to select their first corner, San Jose State's Jermaine Kelly. With Johnathan Joseph now thirty-four years old, Houston can't realistically expect him to play much longer.
Health has been the main issue with Johnson so far in his career. He was drafted 16th overall in the 2015 draft and will earn a little over $9 million in 2019. Johnson has dealt with foot and knee injuries the last several years, so staying healthy has been difficult for him. He's missed fourteen games the last two seasons, which is certainly a concern moving forward. Johnson has one career interception and one fumble recovery in three years.
If Johnson can bounce back and play as well as he did before his injuries, the Texans will really be in a good spot with their secondary. They already added corner Aaron Colvin, and safety Tyrann Mathieu in free agency. They were also able to "steal" Stanford safety Justin Reid in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft.
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Astros show signs of life in blowout win over Brewers
May 7, 2025, 3:25 pm
Houston Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez has a strained muscle at the top of his right hand, a diagnosis that instills optimism he won’t have a prolonged stay on the injured list.
The three-time All-Star went on the 10-day injured list Monday, retroactive to Saturday, and returned to Houston for an MRI that revealed the muscle strain.
“We look at it as good news,” Astros manager Joe Espada said before their Wednesday afternoon game with the Milwaukee Brewers.
Espada expressed hope that Alvarez wouldn’t have to stay on the injured list longer than the required 10 days. He also said the hand issue may have played a role in Alvarez’s slow start.
Alvarez, 27, is hitting .210 with a .306 on-base percentage, three homers and 18 RBIs in 29 games this season. He batted .308 with a .392 on-base percentage, 35 homers and 86 RBIs in 147 games last year while ranking ninth in the AL Most Valuable Player balloting.
He has posted an OPS of at least .959 and has finished 13th or higher in the MVP voting each of the last three seasons.
“Once he heals, once he gets back, I think we’ll see a more aggressive at bat and be not as cautious,” Espada said. “I think it had something to do with it, yes.”
His potential return could go a long way toward boosting an Astros lineup that hasn’t been as productive as usual this season. The Astros entered Wednesday’s action ranked 21st in the majors in runs (136) and 23rd in OPS (.676). Houston has ranked 11th or better in both those categories each of the last four seasons.