Astros News Roundup: Hader's Return, Imai's Turnaround, and Key Injury Updates
· Yahoo Sports
A lot is happening with the Astros right now, between roster moves, encouraging performances, and key players nearing returns, things are finally starting to look up for Houston.
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Here is a breakdown of the latest news:
Josh Hader Is Back
Hader will be officially activated from the IL June 2. He has been on the IL since the start of the season with left biceps tendinitis. His return gives the bullpen the late-inning anchor it has been missing all season. Bryan Abreu has been struggling in the closer role so the timing could not be better.
Tatsuya Imai Is Turning a Corner
After his historic combined no-hitter against the Rangers, Imai followed it up with another strong start against the division-leading Brewers. He has found a comfortable position on the mound and seems to be more settled in. This is a major development for a pitcher who struggled for most of the first two months of the season. Two strong starts in a row suggests this may not be a fluke, maybe the growing pains are done.
Bryan Abreu's Struggles and Miguel Ullola's New Role
Abreu's struggles have been well documented, and they continue. The Astros have changed the trajectory of prospect Miguel Ullola's career to potentially get him to the majors this season. This could be an interesting development in the bullpen.
Isaac Paredes Makes History
Paredes became the 10th Mexican-born player in MLB history to reach 500 career hits. A milestone worth celebrating for one of the Astros' most consistent hitters this season.
Injury Updates
Cristian Javier will pitch for Double-A Corpus Christi on Wednesday. Hunter Brown will pitch on Thursday for Triple-A Sugar Land. He looked sharp in his last outing, averaging 97.6 MPH on his fastball with 5 strikeouts on 44 pitches. Jose Altuve is very close to facing live pitching and his return is getting closer.
What's Next
Astros face the Pittsburgh Pirates Tuesday night. The pitching matchup will be Mike Burrows vs. Bubba Chandler. Then on Wednesday: Spencer Arrighetti vs. Paul Skenes, and Thursday: Kai-Wei Teng vs. Jared Jones. Three of the Astros pitchers that have held the staff together as they navigated the injury list affecting the pitching staff all season.
Joe Espada Milestone
Joe Espada is being inducted into the Carolina Sports Hall of Fame in Puerto Rico. A well-deserved honor for the Astros manager.
A lot of positive momentum surrounding this team right now. With Hader back, key players returning from the IL, and Imai showing signs of a real turnaround, the Astros are starting to look like a completely different team. The second half of the season could look very different for Houston.