Altuve looks to be 100% 

One of the biggest takeaways from yesterday's game that ended Houston's losing streak was that Jose Altuve looked like himself. It started with him hitting the leadoff home run to start the game, showing that he's still got the power in his swing. Then, in his next at-bat, he could have settled for a single but instead was aggressive on the basepaths to leg out a double, showing that he isn't scared to run at full speed.

Leadoff home run, "it's goooood." 🍨#TakeItBack pic.twitter.com/MInaMTehom
— Houston Astros (@astros) June 23, 2019

Another positive sign was that Altuve was able to string together four straight games with a hit by getting one in each game in New York, showing that he is seeing the ball well again. A dangerous, healthy Altuve could prove pivotal for the Astros, who will need that to keep the top of their order as one of the toughest for an opposing pitcher to face.

Springer is coming back, Correa to follow 

The Astros will get another key piece of their lineup back this week in George Springer. Springer has been out of Houston's lineup since May 24th when he suffered a hamstring strain. He began a rehab assignment in Corpus Christi this past weekend where he looked great, hitting a couple of home runs in his first game on his way to a .400 average over his three rehab games.

Hey again, everyone! So, uh, we hit 6 homers tonight during our Phones-Free Game and won 10-2.

George Springer hit two dingers.
The first: 412ft, 111mph.
The second: 386ft, 104mph. pic.twitter.com/lva6VWbBqG
— Corpus Christi Hooks (@cchooks) June 21, 2019

That will leave one last major piece of the batting order missing: Carlos Correa. Correa likely won't go on a rehab assignment or rejoin the team until after the All-Star break, but it shouldn't be too long before Houston has their entire lineup intact and back in action. He was flirting with a .300 average before being sidelined, currently with a .295 average including his eleven home runs so far in 2019. Getting him back in the lineup somewhere around Michael Brantley and Yordan Alvarez will further bolster this potent lineup.

Arguably even more importantly, Correa's return will provide a significant boost on defense. Having Carlos back at shortstop will allow Alex Bregman to move back to his normal position of third base, and move Yuli Gurriel back to first base. That alone will solve some of the defensive issues that have fallen on the Astros in recent games due to players having to move around and play some somewhat unfamiliar positions.

Better pitching to come 

Another proponent of last week's struggles was some poor pitching for Houston, something they haven't had to deal with that much in 2019. First, it's important to note that some of the pitching issues were not long-standing issues. Roberto Osuna's struggles that resulted in the loss in Cincinnati on Wednesday were anything from normal; it was only Osuna's third blown save and first loss of the season. He should be given the benefit of the doubt to get back on track as the closer the next time the Astros need him in a high-leverage save situation.

Another low point of the week was seeing Ryan Pressly allow the go-ahead runs to the Yankees on Saturday. That too was abnormal, as Pressly just recently ended one of the most impressive streaks of scoreless innings ever. The eighth and ninth innings for the Astros should go back to being locked down the next opportunity they get to test Pressly and Osuna.

Another benefit to the pitching staff will be the return of Collin McHugh. McHugh, like George Springer, is nearing the end of his rehab assignment with the Corpus Christi Hooks. While it's unclear where McHugh will fit in the pitching makeup for Houston upon his return, he should provide a lift overall as it will give the Astros another arm to get into the fold.

In addition to all of this, the Astros are still the beneficiaries of what should be considered one of the best 1-2 punches in an MLB rotation in Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole.

Let's not forget about Alvarez

That brings us to one of the best things that have resulted from recent injuries: Yordan Alvarez. Even when some of Houston's typically hot bats looked cold in this past week, Alvarez continued to show his potential, hitting more home runs and racking up more RBIs in his short twelve-game season so far.

Alvarez now has seven home runs in his twelve games to go along with 16 RBIs. He has been just as dominant at the major-league level as he was in the minors, and it creates a great problem for Houston once they have Springer and Correa back: how do they configure this lineup? No matter what order they end up in, it's no question that the rest of 2019 and in the playoffs, the Astros will be a tough task for any opposing pitcher.