With injuries piling up Texans look to trade market for reinforcements

Texans trade with Raiders for former first-round pick Gareon Conley

Texans trade with Raiders for former first-round pick Gareon Conley

The Texans made yet another trade to bolster a weak position.

The deal

The Texans potentially have a few third round picks, including a third round selection from the Seahawks. The price isn't extreme for a former first-round talent.

How does he fit?

With the injuries to the secondary he helps a ton right now. Johnathan Joseph and his issues are up in the air right now. Bradley Roby is down for a little while longer with his hamstring injury. Philip Gaines left the Colts game with an injury and his status is unknown.

He should be able to play right away across from Lonnie Johnson should Joseph not be ready come Sunday.

Conley only has three penalties called on him this season as well and just four penalties in 15 games last year for the Raiders as well.

SportsMap's Lance Zierlein compared him to Aqib Talib in the pre-draft process.

Weird element to the timing

The Texans play the Raiders this weekend. That is a very strange scenario but of course the Texans need help now. There has to be some level of motivation for Conley to prove he is more valuable than the Raiders view him.

Longtime interest

It was my understanding in 2017 the Texans had some level of interest in Conley as far as drafting him. Obviously they moved up to get Deshaun Watson so Conley was never truly considered but they did their homework on him to a good depth from what I was told at the time.

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Has Christian Walker finally turned the corner? Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images.

The Houston Astros return to Daikin Park on Tuesday night looking to keep their momentum going as they host the AL Central-leading Detroit Tigers. First pitch is set for 8:10 p.m. ET, with Ryan Gusto (3-1, 2.78 ERA) on the mound for Houston against Detroit’s Reese Olson (3-1, 3.29 ERA).

Winners of seven of their last ten, the Astros (15-13) have found their rhythm after a rocky start to the season. Their recent surge has been fueled by dominant pitching — a 2.35 ERA over the last 10 games — and improved production at the plate, including a .264 team batting average over that span. Houston has also outscored opponents by 18 runs during that stretch and boasts a solid 10-6 record at home.

While the offense has yet to fully catch fire, signs of life are emerging. Jeremy Peña continues to be a steady presence with five doubles and three homers, while Christian Walker has driven in six runs over his last 10 games, including three long balls. The Astros’ bats will be tested against a Tigers staff that leads the American League with a 2.86 ERA.

Houston’s Tuesday starter, Ryan Gusto, has been sharp through his first five outings, posting a 1.10 WHIP and 23 strikeouts. He’ll look to keep Detroit’s bats quiet, especially red-hot Zach McKinstry, who’s hitting .406 over his last 10 games, and slugger Spencer Torkelson, who already has eight homers this season.

The Tigers (18-11) may sit atop their division, but they’ve struggled away from home, going just 5-8 on the road. The Astros will look to capitalize and even the season series in their second matchup with Detroit.

With the offense trending upward and the pitching staff in a groove, Houston has a prime opportunity to keep building momentum in front of the home crowd.

Here's a sneak peek at the Astros lineup. Altuve is once again batting second after asking manager Joe Espada to move him down in the batting order. Zach Dezenzo is playing right field with Cam Smith getting the night off. Jake Meyers is back in center field and Mauricio Dubon is starting at second base.

Image via: MLB.com/Screenshot

A big test awaits

It appears the Astros may have tipped their hand regarding tomorrow's starting pitcher. Chandler Rome is reporting AJ Blubaugh is at Daikin Park today.

Following Tuesday night's game, Blubaugh has been officially announced as the starter.

Espada said Hayden Wesneski is not injured but needs more time to recover from his last start.

*ChatGPT assisted.

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