The Astros are rolling, but injuries are testing Houston's depth

New York Times

14 hours ago

HOUSTON — Still in a dirt-stained uniform, Jacob Melton trudged across an almost empty clubhouse on Friday night. He bore almost no weight on a sprained right ankle that dimmed the delight of his first big league extra-base hit — a perfect personification of the Houston Astros' predicament.
A deluge of injuries is overshadowing Houston's most dominant stretch of the season. The club has opened a four-game lead in the American League West with a skeleton roster in desperate need of some reinforcements.
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Yordan Alvarez's right hand fracture has crippled an already top-heavy lineup. Isaac Paredes' straining his left hamstring on Thursday night only furthered the problem. Friday brought a 'pretty good sprain' of Melton's ankle, forcing the Astros further into the most vulnerable piece of their organization.
Position player depth is almost nonexistent, part of why Houston signed a slew of veterans to minor-league deals prior to spring training. One of them, Luis Guillorme, will be summoned from Triple-A Sugar Land before Saturday's game against the Minnesota Twins, two league sources told The Athletic on Friday night.
Guillorme will likely take Melton's spot on the 26-man roster, though no final decision had been finalized as of Friday night. Postgame comments from manager Joe Espada all but confirmed a prolonged absence for Melton, the team's most touted position player prospect who chased home three runs during Houston's 10-3 mauling of Minnesota on Friday.
'It's a pretty good sprain,' Espada said. 'It doesn't look like he'll be playing for a couple days, but we're going to get some tests tomorrow and see where we go from there.'
Melton could barely walk across Houston's clubhouse on Friday night without assistance. He leaned on a chair throughout a two-minute postgame interview that began not with his 111.3 mph triple but the explanation of another injury in a season full of them.
First extra base hit for the rookie!#BuiltForThis pic.twitter.com/vWOjcEde9C
— Houston Astros (@astros) June 14, 2025
A back injury impacted Melton throughout spring training before a groin issue cropped up at the beginning of his Triple-A season. On Friday, during his 11th major-league game, Melton turned toward the Crawford Boxes to track Willi Castro's solo home run.
'When I realized I wasn't going to have a play on it, tried to back off the wall and get turned around and get squared up with where I thought it was going to hit, I just rolled (my ankle) and landed on it a bit awkward,' Melton said. 'Not ideal by any stretch of the imagination, but I'll play the cards I'm dealt.'
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Paredes' prognosis appears more favorable. Imaging revealed a 'small' strain of his hamstring, Paredes said through an interpreter. Espada called his third baseman 'day to day' and seemed optimistic he would avoid the injured list.
'I feel a lot better than yesterday,' Paredes said through an interpreter. 'I think every day is getting better. I think we're close to being 100 percent, being able to play every day, which is what I want to do.'
Hamstring injuries are always fickle, so cautious optimism is prudent. That Paredes is so vital to Houston's success only reinforces the thought of being measured in bringing him back. Paredes has hit a team-leading 15 home runs, part of a standout season from a surefire American League All-Star candidate.
Long coveted from afar and finally acquired this winter as part of the Kyle Tucker trade, Paredes has exceeded almost every expectation since his arrival. His 131 OPS+ and .378 on-base percentage trail only resurgent shortstop Jeremy Peña for the team lead.
Mauricio Dubón replaced Paredes following his injury on Thursday and started at third base in his absence on Friday, but adding Guillorme to the active roster could spell more time in left field for the former American League utility Gold Glover.
Dubón took over for Melton in left field on Friday following his injury. Guillorme is a far more sure-handed defender than Shay Whitcomb, the club's backup utility infielder who played the final four innings of Friday's game at third base.
Guillorme bats left-handed, too, bringing more balance to a roster that will lose some if the left-handed hitting Melton hits the injured list.
(Photo of Paredes after he suffered his leg injury: Alex Slitz / Getty Images)