{"id":117066,"date":"2026-03-29T17:21:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-29T21:21:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/?p=117066"},"modified":"2026-03-29T17:21:00","modified_gmt":"2026-03-29T21:21:00","slug":"three-takeaways-from-the-astros-current-2026-roster","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2026\/03\/29\/three-takeaways-from-the-astros-current-2026-roster\/","title":{"rendered":"Three Takeaways From the Astros Current 2026 Roster"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The Houston Astros are looking for a bounce-back season. After not making the postseason for the first time since 2016 last year, the Astros needed to address key issues, revamp their pitching across all levels, and add depth.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>The injury issues really caught up to Houston in 2025, and the front office wants to make sure that doesn\u2019t happen in 2026. In a lot of ways, the Astros roster looks improved from last season. <span>Fan expectations are mixed, but the Astros have the talent to contend this season.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Here are three takeaways from the Astros\u2019 <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.mlb.com\/astros\/roster\/40-man\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">current 2026 roster.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Your 2026 Houston Astros. <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/ChaseTheFight?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#ChaseTheFight<\/a> <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/xDH3VyAWeC\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/xDH3VyAWeC<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Houston Astros (@astros) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/astros\/status\/2036840907077492873?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">March 25, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h2>Bullpen Potential Unknown, Plenty of Starter Depth<\/h2>\n<p>The big story during spring training was the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2026\/02\/26\/what-all-star-closer-josh-hader-latest-setback-means-astros\/\" target=\"_self\">injury recovery<\/a> of All-Star closer <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/h\/haderjo01.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Josh Hader<\/a>. While he didn\u2019t make the opening-day roster, he\u2019s currently on the 15-day injured list and is expected to face hitters at the beginning of April. This isn\u2019t supposed to be a long-term issue, as the news came out, he was a couple of weeks behind during camp.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/a\/abreubr01.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Bryan Abreu<\/a> takes over the closer role, as he did at the end of last season. Abreu is typically at his best as the set-up man. He struggled in his one outing so far and gave up three earned runs in one inning. Abreu posted a 2.28 ERA last season and was 7\/12 in save opportunities.<\/p>\n<p class=\"aligncenter\"><p class=\"aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 610px\"><smartframe-embed class=\"smartframe_wp_element\" customer-id=\"b0c95bc04383cef69c6b47df872135cf\" image-id=\"WmOBPLlcJAs6\" style=\"width: 100%; display: inline-flex; max-width: 6971px; aspect-ratio: 6971\/4648;\" ><\/smartframe-embed><\/p><\/p>\n<p><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/b\/blubaaj01.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">AJ Blubaugh<\/a>, as a young long reliever, shows potential with high velocity. The Astros made two new acquisitions, <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/w\/weissry01.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ryan Weiss<\/a> and <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/t\/tengka01.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Kai-Wei Teng<\/a>, who had starter potential but will begin the season in the bullpen. Weiss has spent time in Korea and gave up two hits and one earned run in his one inning on March 27.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>New Bullpen Arms on Astros 2026 Roster<\/h3>\n<p>Teng was acquired in a trade from the San Francisco Giants and threw 2.1 scoreless innings in the Astros\u2019 first win of the season on Saturday. <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/k\/kingbr02.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Bryan King<\/a> and <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/o\/okertst01.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Steven Okert<\/a> return to the bullpen from last season, and it was a mixed bag for both. They\u2019ll need to step up without Hader in the beginning.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/m\/munozro01.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Roddery Mu<span>\u00f1<\/span>oz<\/a> was acquired through the Rule Five draft and made his first appearance on Friday with a scoreless 0.2 innings and three walks. It was a big step for him and for <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/r\/roach02.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Christian Roa<\/a> to make it on the roster, but it was due to injuries. <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/s\/sousabe01.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Bennett Sousa<\/a> was one of the Astros\u2019 better relievers last season and remains on the 15-day IL with a Grade 1 oblique strain. <span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/p\/pearsna01.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Nate Pearson<\/a> is on the 15-day IL with elbow soreness and is expected to pitch in the bullpen.<\/span> He was one of the first Astros signings in the offseason.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/d\/delosen01.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Enyel De los Santos<\/a> will return soon as he goes through a rehab assignment with Triple-A Sugar Land. The bullpen depth will get better as the season goes on. The Astros could go to a six-man rotation during a long stretch of games and recall <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/a\/arrigsp01.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Spencer Arrighetti<\/a> from the minors. <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/a\/alexaja01.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jason Alexander<\/a> is also in the minors. Both <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/b\/blancro01.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ronel Blanco<\/a> and <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/w\/wesneha01.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Hayden Wesneski<\/a> start the season on the 15-day IL after having Tommy John surgery a year back. Those two could return sometime later in the year.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>For more information on the starting rotation, check out <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2026\/03\/28\/breaking-down-the-astros-2026-starting-pitching-rotation\/\" target=\"_self\">LWOS\u2019 breakdown here<\/a>.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>A Young Outfield Could Have Promise<\/h2>\n<p>The Astros 2026 roster has a significantly young outfield, but there is talent across the board. <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/a\/alvaryo01.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Yordan Alvarez<\/a> is expected to be primarily the designated hitter, but will get some time in left field. <span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/s\/smithca07.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Cam Smith<\/a> has started in right field and made strong defensive plays despite a slow offensive start.<\/span> <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/m\/meyerja02.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jake Meyers<\/a> had a bounce-back season in 2025 and will make the majority of his starts in center field.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/l\/loperjo01.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Joey Loperfido<\/a> was the<a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2026\/02\/24\/astros-reacquired-fan-favorite-outfielder-who-could-play-key-role\/\" target=\"_self\"> big trade acquisition<\/a> during spring training and has gotten off to an outstanding start during the regular season. He\u2019s hitting the ball well and is electric in the field. Loperfido will alternate between outfield positions, but could end up being in left field a lot. His development on offense is key, and if he keeps it going, the Astros can be a lot more dangerous.<\/p>\n<p class=\"aligncenter\"><p class=\"aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 410px\"><smartframe-embed class=\"smartframe_wp_element\" customer-id=\"b0c95bc04383cef69c6b47df872135cf\" image-id=\"WmOBCS4mDywi\" style=\"width: 100%; display: inline-flex; max-width: 2800px; aspect-ratio: 2800\/3500;\" ><\/smartframe-embed><\/p><\/p>\n<p><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/m\/matthbr01.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Brice Matthews<\/a> has moved to the outfield as well and has made a couple of starts out there. He is naturally an infielder, but the young, promising talent will get more opportunities. It will be interesting to see how Smith continues to develop. If the Astros can get offensive production from the outfield, they will be hard to stop.<\/p>\n<p><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/c\/coleza01.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Zach Cole<\/a> is also available in the minors if needed, and he has pop off the bat, as shown at the end of last season.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Infield Logjam: A Good Thing?<\/h2>\n<p>While there were plenty of<a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2026\/02\/06\/astros-infield-spring-training\/\" target=\"_self\"> trade rumors<\/a> on <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/p\/paredis01.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Isaac Paredes<\/a>, he made it onto the opening-day roster and has played every game so far for the Astros. He will split time all over the infield and has already played at second and third base as well as DH. <span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/p\/penaje02.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jeremy Pe\u00f1a\u2019s<\/a> fractured finger sidelined him briefly, but Paredes\u2019 presence let him take his time returning.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The season is a long grind. Paredes will find opportunities as veterans like <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/a\/altuvjo01.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jose Altuve<\/a>, <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/c\/correca01.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Carlos Correa<\/a>, and <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/w\/walkech02.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Christian Walker<\/a> rest or deal with injuries. <\/span>Alvarez&#8217;s absence on the left allows him to take the DH spot. Providing more flexibility for Houston.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/a\/allenni02.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Nick Allen<\/a> is the backup utility man and takes <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/d\/dubonma01.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Mauricio Dubon\u2019s<\/a> spot. Given Paredes\u2019 role, it\u2019s likely Allen\u2019s opportunities will remain few.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Main Photo Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Houston Astros are looking for a bounce-back season. After not making the postseason for the first time since 2016 last year, the Astros needed to address key issues, revamp their pitching across all levels, and add depth.\u00a0 The injury issues really caught up to Houston in 2025, and the front office wants to make [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5612,"featured_media":117092,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"1","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[14,1071,35],"tags":[29138,29347,6483,4921,29341,28631,716,3763,2517,3012,5883,4076,5107,5983,5332,28459,251,2182,2981,777,1385,1379,29344,28503,29209,28504,28441,2725,29145],"class_list":["post-117066","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-astros","category-mlb","category-news","tag-aj-blubaugh","tag-bennett-sousa","tag-brice-matthews","tag-bryan-abreu","tag-bryan-king","tag-cam-smith","tag-carlos-correa","tag-christian-roa","tag-christian-walker","tag-enyel-de-los-santos","tag-hayden-wesneski","tag-isaac-paredes","tag-jake-meyers","tag-jason-alexander","tag-jeremy-pena","tag-joey-loperfido","tag-jose-altuve","tag-josh-hader","tag-kai-wei-teng","tag-mauricio-dubon","tag-nate-pearson","tag-nick-allen","tag-roddery-munoz","tag-ronel-blanco","tag-ryan-weiss","tag-spencer-arrighetti","tag-steven-okert","tag-yordan-alvarez","tag-zach-cole"],"modified_by":"Augustus Oswald, Site Editor","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/117066","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5612"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=117066"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/117066\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":117094,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/117066\/revisions\/117094"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/117092"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=117066"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=117066"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=117066"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}