Astros 2026: What happens when….

Today, we will play a little game called What Happens When. But as a prelude to that game, here is a little reminder of where the Astros 26-man roster sits today.

The tail end of the starting and relief pitching is quite fluid, as the team is making moves every few days. But this is where we stand on May 29.

Now let’s play the game.

What Happens….

  • When Josh Hader returns? (Which is likely in the next week)  Hader threw what might have been his last rehab appearance on the 28th, giving up 3 runs in 2/3 of an inning. His ERA has been 7.36 in his rehab to date. When he shows up, the Astros will slide the last man on the totem – likely VanWey back to Sugar Land. Joe Espada will likely put him back in the closer’s role, which may be shaky for a while.
  • When Joey Loperfido returns? (Touted to be in early June). In his short stint earlier this season, Loperfido had a solid slash of .276 BA/ .348 OBP/ .711 OPS playing mostly LF with a little CF sprinkled in. Since Trammell is hitting so well, I would expect Dezenzo to be sent down and expect Joey to head back to LF (mostly).
  • When Hunter Brown returns? (Expected to be mid-June) This will be interesting. Will they go to a 6-man rotation in which case they will send down the low man on the relief totem pole – likely Santa. If they go to a 5-man rotation – who moves from the rotation back to a long relief/swing man spot in the bullpen? Lambert or Teng? Tough choice.
  • When Yainer Diaz returns? (Stated to be in June and likely late June) Well, yes, they will send Salazar back down, but beyond that….I have been very vocal that I want Vazquez to be the starter now, due to the way he is handling this patched together pitching staff. At worst I would want a 50/50 split. Diaz is not deserving of the starting spot without returning to the hitter he was a couple seasons ago.
  • When Jose Altuve returns? (Slated for some time between mid-June and late-June) I guess Shewmake goes and Allen stays, but I say that without checking if either have options. Jose will go back into the starting lineup, and we will hope that he will hit better.
  • When Cristian Javier returns? (Estimated to be late June – maybe) I don’t see a spot for him, but who knows who may be ailing by then. They sure can’t use him if he pitches like he did before the injury. Does he get a DFA? With the Astros owing him about $14 million for the rest of this season and $21 million for 2027 it is hard to see him dropped.
  • If Lance McCullers returns? (Shown as TBD right now) The gut feel is that he will never pitch for the Astros again. But if he does come back from his latest injury at some point, is there really a spot for him?
  • If Bennett Sousa returns? (Shown as TBD right now) He’s a lefty who has pitched effectively for the Astros as recently as 2025 (5-1, 2.84 ERA, 4 saves). But he has had a lot of injury time – missing all of 2024 and the end of 2025 and it is as likely he will go under the knife as return in 2026.
  • If Ronel Blanco returns? (Expected in the second half of the season)  See below….
  • If Hayden Wesneski returns? (Expected in the second half of the season) Both Blanco and Wesneski have progressed to throwing in the bullpen at West Palm Beach (spring training site) after both undergoing Tommy John surgery within two weeks of each other last year. The “If” in front of each of the pitchers has to do with the general recovery from surgery for anyone. It is not a straight line. Often, they face setbacks. In this case, how would the Astros use them if they returned? Impossible to say right now. By the time they return, there might not be a starting spot for them. There might be spots due to other’s injuries. There could be more pitchers in the mix after the trade deadline. Some pitchers who look good now (Lambert? Teng?) could fall off by then. This will be a fascinating situation to observe.

In the end – this is not a game – it is a serious situation that will effect quite a few spots on the roster and the careers of the men involved. Dana Brown and likely Joe Espada will have to navigate these difficult waters. But having too many talented players is better than too few.

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