CLEVELAND — Nine players placed on the injured list in 17 days. Seventeen players dealing with injuries overall, an MLB high. And the season is not yet four weeks old.
The Houston Astros have been here before. In 2025, 26 players spent time on the injured list, and FanGraphs projected by mid-September that Houston had lost more potential wins above replacement to injuries than any other team in baseball. The Astros missed the playoffs by one game.
This spring, team officials and players spoke openly about how important staying healthy would be. The organization made changes: a new director of sports medicine and performance, a new major-league strength and conditioning coach, a new head athletic trainer. The injuries have kept coming.
General manager Dana Brown addressed the situation Tuesday before the Astros fell 8-5 to the Cleveland Guardians.
“First thing I would say is, it’s very unfortunate,” Brown said. “Second thing I would say is it’s definitely a part of the game. You can’t cry about it. You’ve got to keep moving and get guys healthy.”
The list of absences reads like a roster unto itself. Closer Josh Hader has been on the injured list since Opening Day with left biceps tendinitis. Ace Hunter Brown is out until at least late May with a Grade 2 right shoulder strain. Cristian Javier followed with the same diagnosis and was transferred to the 60-day IL this week. Tatsuya Imai, one of three rotation replacements pressed into service, went down with arm fatigue after just three starts, with all imaging coming back clean.
On the position player side, shortstop Jeremy Peña opened the season on the IL with a fractured finger sustained during the World Baseball Classic, returned to the lineup, and then strained his hamstring running the bases in April. Center fielder Jake Meyers injured his oblique on a check swing. Outfielder Joey Loperfido hurt his quad running to first base. Taylor Trammell, who had emerged as the everyday center fielder in Meyers’ absence, pulled up with a left groin strain Monday night and was placed on the IL Tuesday.
Some of these, Brown acknowledged, qualify as bad luck. Cody Bolton took a line drive off his back in his first start. Reliever Bennett Sousa hurt his oblique on a fielding play during spring training. Imai’s tests turned up nothing structural. Others are less easily explained—Hunter Brown and Javier both carry significant injury histories, and the organization knew that going in.
“If I thought that it had something to do with the way we were preparing, it would worry me,” Dana Brown said. “But I know our guys are working hard, they’re being prepared, they worked hard in spring, they all did all of their weight training. So, it’s one of those things.”
Asked what specific changes the offseason review of injuries produced, Brown declined to detail them. He did offer one philosophical shift: The organization is no longer in the business of rushing players back.
“In terms of return to play, we’re a lot more focused on giving the guys the necessary time they need and not stressing in bringing players back too soon,” Brown said. “A lot of times what can happen is you can be so pressed to get a guy back because of all the injuries that you end up doing more.”
That approach has led to a parade of waiver claims and minor-league signings to patch the roster. Since Saturday, the Astros have added three players new to the organization: outfielder Dustin Harris off waivers, infielder Braden Shewmake via trade with the Yankees, and outfielder Daniel Johnson on a minor-league deal. Two of the three were hit by pitches in Tuesday’s game alone. Harris left with a left hand contusion, initial X-rays showing no fracture. Johnson stayed in.
Reinforcements are coming, though not immediately. Sousa is nearing activation after a strong rehab stint and could rejoin a bullpen badly in need of reinforcement. Loperfido is doing baseball activities but won’t be eligible to return until April 28. Peña has resumed running, with Brown expecting a meaningful update in a week to ten days. Imai threw his first bullpen session Monday since being shut down and will work on building arm strength. Zach Dezenzo continues a rehab assignment but remains limited to designated hitter duties.
At 9-15, the Astros carry a 6.05 ERA as a pitching staff—last in the American League. The offense has kept them afloat, leading the majors in runs scored, which is a credit to the lineup. But even the deepest lineup has its limits.
Brown isn’t ready to wave the white flag.
“These injuries are part of the game,” he said. “I think we’re stretching it maybe to the limit. But you can’t cry about it.”
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