<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/houston-astros/astros-news-houston-jeremy-pena-injured-list-rib-fracture');   ga('set', 'title', 'Astros lose Jeremy Pena to injured list with rib fracture');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Jeremy-Pena.jpg"><figcaption>Troy Taormina-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Astros lose Jeremy Pena to injured list with rib fracture</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-30T10:16:12-07:00">June 30th, 10:16am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-30T10:25:01-07:00">June 30th, 10:25am</time><address><a>Christopher Hennessy</a>Christopher Hennessy graduated with a journalism degree from Fordham University in 2022. He has also worked at Spectrum News One in Albany, New York and with The Hockey Writers as a New York Islanders writer. Chris is originally from Connecticut and is a lifelong New York Yankees, Islanders, and Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Astros</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Houston Astros have soared out to a<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/editorials/2025-mlb-power-rankings-vol-16-mid-season-checkpoint"> 6.5-game lead in the American League West</a>. Even with an improved offense in Seattle and dominant pitching from the Texas Rangers, Houston remains atop the division. A massive reason why is shortstop Jeremy Pena, who has broken out after two poor seasons. But on Monday, the Astros put Pena on the injured list<a href="https://x.com/BNightengale/status/1939727117111132594" rel="noopener"> with a rib fracture</a> suffered on a hit-by-pitch.</p><p>“Houston Astros shortstop Jeremy Pena, who was having the finest season of his career and headed to the All-Star Game, is now headed to the IL with a rib fracture,” Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported.</p><p>Pena is hitting .322 through 82 games, with 11 homers, 15 steals, and a .867 OPS. He was playing an elite defensive shortstop while playing at a 20-20 pace before this injury. Now, the Astros will have to rely on players who have not been very good this year to keep their offense afloat.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/astros-news-houston-christian-walker-nolan-arenado-trade-fiasco">Christian Walker was the Astros’ big free agency signing</a> this offseason. In 81 games, he has a .653 OPS with a -1.0 bWAR. There is still time for that to turn around. But without Pena, he does not have protection in the lineup.</p><p>This injured list stint could keep Pena out until the All-Star Break, which is two weeks away. That means Houston will play key sets against the Dodgers, Guardians, and Rangers without their shortstop. But the first series after the break might be the biggest of their season. The Astros need Pena back when they head to Seattle for three games after the break. If he is there, they could take a commanding lead in the division.</p><p>Pena jumped onto the scene as a rookie when he won the ALCS and World Series MVP in 2022. But the two years that followed that were rough, with a combined .703 OPS. Just as he was ascending again, he hits the injured list.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Astros lose Jeremy Pena to injured list with rib fracture

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/houston-astros/astros-news-bryan-abreu-houston-resilience-injury-woes');   ga('set', 'title', 'Astros’ Bryan Abreu gets real on Houston’s resilience amid injury woes');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Houston-Astros-pitcher-Bryan-Abreu-throws-a-pitch.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Astros’ Bryan Abreu gets real on Houston’s resilience amid injury woes</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-30T05:09:12-07:00">June 30th, 5:09am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-30T05:09:12-07:00">June 30th, 5:09am</time><address><a>Abdullah Imran</a>Abdullah Imran works as an Associate Editor for All Sports at ClutchPoints. He’s been a sports fan his entire life and enjoys writing about every sport. He has spent three years in sports journalism and loves analyzing games. In his free time, he very much enjoys binge-watching shows and playing video games.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Astros</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Despite <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/houston-astros/astros-news-lance-mccullers-jr-accepts-nl-central-woes-daddy">dealing with a wave of injuries, the Houston Astros</a> are proving themselves <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/houston-astros/3-sneaky-trades-astros-must-make-boost-world-series-chances">as one of MLB’s most formidable forces</a>. Closing out June with a 19–7 record, the best in the Majors for the month, the Astros swept the Philadelphia Phillies and took two of three from the Chicago Cubs, improving their season mark to 50–33 and becoming just the third team to reach 50 wins, behind only the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Detroit Tigers.</p><p>The key to this surge has been the performance of a depleted but determined roster. The Astros have endured extended absences from star players, including slugger Yordan Alvarez, who has been out since early May with a broken hand. <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/framber-valdez-quality-start-in-astros-series-win-over-cubs" rel="noopener">Four starting pitchers are also on rehab assignments in Florida</a>. Yet the team has gone unbeaten in its last 11 series (9-0-2) dating back to May 22, exemplifying their depth and tenacity.</p><p>Bryan Abreu, a go-to weapon in Houston’s bullpen, epitomized that spirit during Sunday’s 2-0 win over the Cubs. Called into action in the seventh inning with runners on first and second and no outs, Abreu delivered six pivotal outs across two scoreless innings. He struck out four of the six batters he faced, using 98+ mph fastballs and sharp sliders to escape a jam and neutralize Chicago’s top hitters.</p><p>“After everything and all the bad news, we’re picking each other up and have each other’s back, and keep doing our thing and going out there and competing,” said Bryan Abreu, per Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. “That’s pretty amazing for us.”</p><p>Sunday’s outing was only the second time since 2023 that Abreu recorded six outs in a game. Entering that contest, he had pitched in 37 of Houston’s 83 games, with just six outings longer than one inning. Yet he has been scored upon in just 3 of 38 appearances this season and owns a 1.63 ERA. Abreu’s effectiveness in high-leverage situations is especially notable as he has stranded 11 of 12 inherited runners and ranks among the top three relievers in MLB for such moments, per Baseball Reference.</p><p>Statistically, Abreu’s dominance comes with some risk as he allows a 48.8% hard-hit rate and a 12.4% walk rate, both career highs. Yet his 41.8% whiff rate and 34.6% strikeout rate, both top-tier among MLB relievers, have allowed him to avoid damage. He induced nine whiffs on 13 swings Sunday, continuing a season of overpowering outings.</p><p>Complementing Abreu’s effort was Framber Valdez, who improved to 9-4 with six shutout innings, extending his scoreless streak to 13 innings. Valdez is 8-0 with a 1.72 ERA over his last 10 starts. Closer Josh Hader followed Abreu with his 23rd save in as many chances, maintaining a perfect save record this season and sporting a 1.67 ERA.</p><p>Jose Altuve provided the game’s only offense with a two-run homer, his 13th of the season and his first extra-base hit in 34 at-bats. It marked hit No. 2,313 of his career, putting him one shy of tying Jeff Bagwell for second on the Astros’ all-time hits list.</p><p>With Alvarez nearing a return and Houston’s rotation regaining strength, the Astros are set to build on their recent dominance, and Bryan Abreu’s emergence remains central to their push.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Astros’ Bryan Abreu gets real on Houston’s resilience amid injury woes

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/houston-astros/astros-news-joe-espada-jeremy-pena-injury-despite-absence');   ga('set', 'title', 'Astros’ Joe Espada downplays Jeremy Pena injury despite absence');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Jeremy-Pena-2.jpg"><figcaption>William Purnell-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Astros’ Joe Espada downplays Jeremy Pena injury despite absence</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-29T13:44:58-07:00">June 29th, 1:44pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-29T13:44:58-07:00">June 29th, 1:44pm</time><address><a>Christopher Hennessy</a>Christopher Hennessy graduated with a journalism degree from Fordham University in 2022. He has also worked at Spectrum News One in Albany, New York and with The Hockey Writers as a New York Islanders writer. Chris is originally from Connecticut and is a lifelong New York Yankees, Islanders, and Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Astros</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Houston Astros are vying for a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/chicago-cubs/cubs-news-why-boos-astros-fans-kyle-tucker-smile">series win over the Chicago Cubs on Sunday</a>. They entered the day 6.5 games up on the Seattle Mariners in the AL West and could cruise to another playoff spot. But a big injury could cost Houston games as the second half begins. Astros shortstop Jeremy Pena <a href="https://apnews.com/article/astros-jeremy-pena-injury-9825a4f5dc96ae9bcd0f5862bfe362f9" rel="noopener">missed his second straight game</a> on Sunday with a rib injury that Joe Espada is downplaying.</p><p>“It’s just still pretty sore, so no need to rush to get him in there,” Espada said, per the Associated Press.</p><p>Pena was hit by a pitch in Friday’s win over the Cubs, causing soreness in his ribs. He did not play in Saturday’s 12-3 loss to Chicago and will not play Sunday. Utility man Mauricio Dubon took over at shortstop on Saturday, going 0-3 in the loss.</p><p>Pena has put together a resurgent season as the Astros’ shortstop. After winning the ALCS and World Series MVP in 2022, he had a couple of disappointing seasons. In 2023 and 2024, he combined for a .703 OPS. This year, he has an .867 OPS with his elite defense continuing.</p><p>The Astros have not gotten elite seasons out of any of their other name-brand players. Jose Altuve has struggled at his new position and has a -0.2 bWAR. Christian Walker has been disastrous after signing a big free-agent contract, with a dreadful .281 on-base percentage. And<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/astros-news-yordan-alvarez-injury-revelation-houston-rays"> Yordan Alvarez has only played 29 games while dealing with injuries</a>.</p><p>Despite all of that, the Astros are atop the AL West. Their pitching has been elite while Pena has carried the offense. They have taken advantage of the slumping Mariners to jump out to a massive lead. But after last year, they know no division lead is safe before the All-Star Break. They need to get Pena back and hitting soon to ensure a playoff spot.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Astros’ Joe Espada downplays Jeremy Pena injury despite absence

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/chicago-cubs/cubs-news-why-boos-astros-fans-kyle-tucker-smile');   ga('set', 'title', 'Why boos from Astros fans made Cubs’ Kyle Tucker smile');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Kyle-Tucker-1_d6e1e1.jpg"></figure><h1>Why boos from Astros fans made Cubs’ Kyle Tucker smile</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-29T13:24:52-07:00">June 29th, 1:24pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-29T13:24:52-07:00">June 29th, 1:24pm</time><address><a>Brayden Haena</a>Brayden Haena is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He's a die-hard San Francisco Giants fan and a football fanatic. In addition to sports writing, he works for Arizona Football in the Player Personnel and Recruiting department and formerly served as the Defensive Coordinator for Heritage High School.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Chicago Cubs</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Kyle Tucker made his long-awaited return to Houston this weekend — and he did it in style. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cubs-kyle-tucker-receives-standing-ovation-return-houson">The former Astros star turned Cubs slugger</a> received a hero’s welcome Friday night from the Minute Maid Park crowd, many of whom wore golden crowns in tribute to his “King Tuck” nickname. But on Saturday, when he reminded everyone exactly why he once ruled the right-field seats in Houston, the cheers turned to boos — and Tucker <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/kyle-tucker-leads-cubs-victory-in-return-to-houston" rel="noopener">loved every second of it.</a></p><p>“That’s a good thing,” Tucker said with a grin after the Cubs’ 12-3 victory. “That means we’re doing our job over here.”</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cubs-news-mlb-world-shambles-after-astros-cubs-kyle-tucker-trade">Tucker, traded to Chicago over the offseason</a>, torched his former team with a four-hit night that included a three-run home run in the fourth inning off former teammate Lance McCullers Jr. The blast, his 17th of the season, helped spark a seven-run frame that turned a 2-1 deficit into a blowout.</p><p>“I’m happy for him to come back here and have a night like that,” said Cubs manager Craig Counsell. “He had a big night. That was an all-around great game.”</p><h2><b>Kyle Tucker homers in return to Houston, Cubs look for series win on Sunday</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Kyle-Tucker-2.jpg"><figcaption>Troy Taormina-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Tucker singled in the first inning and swiped his 20th base of the year, doubled and scored in the sixth, and came around again in the eighth after a single. He finished a triple shy of the cycle, tying career highs with four hits and four runs scored.</p><p>Beyond the numbers — a .291 average, 17 home runs, 20 steals, and more walks than strikeouts — Tucker’s all-around performance reminded Houston of what it gave up. In right field, he tracked down a deep drive in the gap for a crucial out, flashing the Gold Glove form he showed in 2022.</p><p>“He’s super athletic,” said Cubs starter Colin Rea. “Obviously, he does what he does at the plate, but I think he gets slept on as far as what he can do in the outfield.”</p><p>The seven-run inning included back-to-back homers from Michael Busch and Nico Hoerner, an RBI single from Ian Happ, and a sac fly from Pete Crow-Armstrong. It erased the momentum from Cam Smith’s homer in the third — a symbolic subplot, as Smith was one of the prospects Houston acquired in the deal for Tucker.</p><p>Still, Tucker had the final say, and the moment wasn’t lost on him.</p><p>“I played here for a good while,” he said. “The fans here are great. Just to be a part of that fan base at the time was really special.” Even if they were booing him on Saturday, King Tuck clearly hasn’t lost his crown.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Why boos from Astros fans made Cubs’ Kyle Tucker smile

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/mlb-stories/mlb-rumors-astros-linked-orioles-star-trade-aggressive-search');   ga('set', 'title', 'MLB rumors: Astros linked to Orioles star trade in ‘aggressive’ search');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Cedric-Mullins-2.jpg"><figcaption>Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><h1>MLB rumors: Astros linked to Orioles star trade in ‘aggressive’ search</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-29T07:20:56-07:00">June 29th, 7:20am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-29T07:20:56-07:00">June 29th, 7:20am</time><address><a>Troy Finnegan</a>Troy Finnegan is a Senior Editor and College Sports Lead at ClutchPoints. He graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2023 with a degree in journalism and minors in communications and sports media, as well as a critical sports studies certificate. He has had a passion for sports his entire life, and enjoys covering and writing about all sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Baltimore Orioles</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Houston Astros have been one of the best teams in Major League Baseball for most of the last decade, and they appear poised to make another run to the postseason in 2025. However, there is a lot of talent at the top of baseball right now, which will make the upcoming trade deadline a fascinating one as teams try to level up before the home stretch.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/editorials/3-sneaky-trades-astros-must-make-boost-world-series-chances">Astros will certainly be one of those teams</a>, while the Baltimore Orioles could go either way after a very disappointing start to the season. While the Orioles will likely hang onto all of their young talent, outfielder Cedric Mullins could be someone who is on the way out. The Astros could be <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/columnist/bob-nightengale/2025/06/29/milwaukee-brewers-nl-central-standings/84404488007/" rel="noopener">in position to take advantage</a> of that, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today.</p><p>“The Houston Astros are aggressively looking for a left-handed bat on the market, with eyes on Orioles center fielder Cedric Mullins,” Nightengale wrote.</p><p>The Astros currently have a hole in the outfield and could use another lefty at the plate, and while Mullins is past his prime days he would still be a quality addition that would make the Houston lineup much deeper.</p><p>The former All-Star has struggled mightily so far this season, batting just .210 in 66 games while hitting 12 home runs and driving in 38 runs. As a result, a change of scenery and a return to a team contending for a playoff spot could do him some good.</p><p>At the moment, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/orioles-news-baltimore-gm-gets-100-real-on-upcoming-trade-deadline-amid-poor-season">Orioles are in the basement</a> of the AL East with a dreadful 35-47 record, which is far below their expectations after making the playoffs with such a young, promising core last season. Baltimore is 12 games back of the top spot in the division, so it might be a little early for it to punt on the season just yet. However, that time could be coming soon.</p><p>On the other hand, the Astros are looking very good and have built a 6.5-game lead in the AL West over the Seattle Mariners. Houston has done that thanks to a 7-3 stretch over their last 10 games and is playing some of its best baseball of the season at the moment.</p><p>While the Houston front office may be reluctant to make a change while the team is playing so well, taking a swing like adding Mullins is the kind of thing that has a chance to pay off in a big way in the long run.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

MLB rumors: Astros linked to Orioles star trade in ‘aggressive’ search

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/houston-astros/astros-news-lance-mccullers-jr-accepts-nl-central-woes-daddy');   ga('set', 'title', 'Astros’ Lance McCullers Jr. accepts NL Central woes with ‘daddy’ claim');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Houston-Astros-starting-pitcher-Lance-McCullers-Jr.-43-comes-off-the-field-after-pitching-against-the-Texas-Rangers-during-the-fourth-inning-at-Globe-Life-Field.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Astros’ Lance McCullers Jr. accepts NL Central woes with ‘daddy’ claim</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-29T06:20:10-07:00">June 29th, 6:20am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-29T06:20:46-07:00">June 29th, 6:20am</time><address><a>Abdullah Imran</a>Abdullah Imran works as an Associate Editor for All Sports at ClutchPoints. He’s been a sports fan his entire life and enjoys writing about every sport. He has spent three years in sports journalism and loves analyzing games. In his free time, he very much enjoys binge-watching shows and playing video games.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Astros</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/houston-astros/astros-news-lance-mccullers-extra-rest-joe-espada-explanation">Houston Astros welcomed back Lance McCullers Jr.</a> on Saturday night after a 17-day absence due to a foot injury, but his return didn’t go as hoped. The right-hander struggled in his outing, giving up eight runs over just 3 1/3 innings in a disappointing 12-3 loss to the Chicago Cubs.</p><p>This was McCullers’ <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/lance-mccullers-gives-up-8-runs-in-return-from-injured-list" rel="noopener">second difficult start of the season</a> against an NL Central opponent and prompted quite the quip.</p><p>“The NL Central is kind of like my daddy right now — the Cincy start [May 10] and now the Cubs start,” he said, per Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. “Outside of that, I feel like I’ve thrown the ball well. There’s, of course, things here and there throughout the course of the games where you look back and you’re like, ‘Oh, I probably could have done better, extended my outing a little bit more, this and that,’ but overall I was throwing the ball after that Cincinnati game really well. I felt my [putaway] stuff was there, and it kind of just feels like I have to reset a little bit. It doesn’t get easier for me.”</p><p>McCullers allowed seven runs in 1/3 of an inning against the Cincinnati Reds on May 10, his second start back from a two-and-a-half-year injury absence. Between the Cincinnati and Chicago outings, however, he posted a 3.20 ERA across five starts, including two six-inning performances, before a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/houston-astros/astros-news-lance-mccullers-freak-accident-il">foot sprain temporarily sidelined him again</a>.</p><p>In Saturday’s game, Lance McCullers Jr. gave up seven hits, four walks, and three home runs while throwing 79 pitches, 41 for strikes. He threw 12 consecutive balls during the first inning and walked in a run before recovering to retire Nico Hoerner and start a stretch of eight straight outs. He totaled only 24 pitches in the second and third innings but was chased in the fourth after allowing seven runs.</p><p>The fourth inning unraveled after McCullers retired the first batter. Michael Busch and Hoerner hit back-to-back homers into the Crawford Boxes. Statcast data showed Busch’s homer would’ve cleared the fence in just one MLB stadium, while Hoerner’s would’ve gone out in 13 parks. McCullers followed with a walk to Matt Shaw and a single to Reese McGuire before Ian Happ drove in another run with a ground-ball single. Kyle Tucker, a former Astro, then crushed a hanging first-pitch slider over the right-field wall for a three-run shot.</p><p>McCullers admitted that most pitches in that sequence were well-executed, with the slider to Tucker being his one major regret. He generated just one whiff on 28 sliders, a night-and-day difference from his earlier-season 28.8% whiff rate with the pitch.</p><p>Astros Manager Joe Espada, who had hoped Lance McCullers Jr. could throw 80-85 pitches, said this about the rough start: “Just to get him back out there and get him pitching, that’s a positive to take out of this.”</p><p>Espada noted McCullers “had enough in the tank” to escape the fourth but ultimately couldn’t finish it.</p><p>McCullers, who now holds a 6.61 ERA over 32 2/3 innings in this season looks ahead to his next start against the Los Angeles Dodgers.</p><p>“I face the Dodgers next [in Los Angeles] and just gotta keep chugging, gotta keep pushing,” he said.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Astros’ Lance McCullers Jr. accepts NL Central woes with ‘daddy’ claim

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/houston-astros/astros-news-yordan-alvarez-continues-progress-towards-injury-return-birthday');   ga('set', 'title', 'Astros’ Yordan Alvarez continues to progress towards injury return on birthday');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Astros-star-Yordan-Alvarez-is-on-the-field.jpg"><figcaption>Erik Williams-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Astros’ Yordan Alvarez continues to progress towards injury return on birthday</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-27T16:55:51-07:00">June 27th, 4:55pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-27T16:56:01-07:00">June 27th, 4:56pm</time><address><a>Alex House</a>Alex House is a sports journalist who covers the NFL, NBA, and MLB for ClutchPoints. He grew up in a New York sports-heavy region in Connecticut and earned his journalism degree at the University of Rhode Island. His in-depth knowledge of two of the most passionate and raucous fan bases in the country gives him a truly unique writing voice.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Astros</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Gerrit Cole, Carlos Correa, Alex Bregman, Kyle Tucker and Justin Verlander. They are all gone, and yet the Houston Astros (48-33) remain a perennial <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/houston-astros/3-sneaky-trades-astros-must-make-boost-world-series-chances">American League contender</a>. They continue to overcome major departures and constant pitching injuries, proving just how strong a foundation the organization has set in place. Yordan Alvarez is still under contract with the team, but the Stros have also survived his absence for much of the season. The question is, though, can the club maintain its winning ways without its top slugger?</p><p>Houston hopes it will not have to wait long enough to find out. The three-time All-Star, who turned 28 years old on Friday, is <a href="https://www.sportingnews.com/us/mlb/houston-astros/news/houston-astros-receive-positive-news-designated-hitter-yordan-alvarez/c9844a8462e4c751aeb003f5" rel="noopener">making notable progress</a> in his recovery from a hand fracture, as reiterated by Aaron Raley of The Sporting News. Alvarez started swinging a bat earlier in the week, marking the first time he has reached such a benchmark since early May. Pushing toward a comeback, albeit gradually, should make his big day much sweeter.</p><h2><b>Astros always seem to find a way</b></h2><p>As highlighted above, the Astros are masters at adapting to their situation, as they frequently identify viable replacement options. They do not have the look of a squad that presently owns a six and a half game lead in the AL West, and yet, here they are. There are a number of reasons why the offense is getting by without a first-rate hitter like Alvarez.</p><p>Jeremy Pena boasts the second-highest WAR in MLB and is <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/houston-astros/astros-news-carlos-correa-jeremy-pena">ascending into true stardom</a> this season, despite brutally not being in the running to start at the 2025 All-Star Game. Isaac Paredes, who came over from the Chicago Cubs in the Tucker trade, paces the team with 16 home runs and has acclimated to his new environment nicely. Jose Altuve is still a capable contributor in his 15th big-league season. Former first-round pick Cam Smith is holding his own as a rookie. And the supposedly one-dimensional Jake Meyers is hitting above .300.</p><p>But Houston still needs a healthy Yordan Alvarez in order to complete their ultimate agenda. Slowly but surely, that day appears to be coming.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Astros’ Yordan Alvarez continues to progress towards injury return on birthday

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/houston-astros/3-sneaky-trades-astros-must-make-boost-world-series-chances');   ga('set', 'title', '3 sneaky trades Astros must make to boost World Series chances');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Washington-Nationals-starting-pitcher-Michael-Soroka.jpg"><figcaption>Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>3 sneaky trades Astros must make to boost World Series chances</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-27T15:07:27-07:00">June 27th, 3:07pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-27T15:07:27-07:00">June 27th, 3:07pm</time><address><a>Zachary Howell</a>Zachary Howell is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints focusing on creating premier MLB content. He is a big fan of the Yankees, Oklahoma City Thunder and the Syracuse Orange. In his free time, he likes to be outside or read.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Houston Astros have used a dominant stretch to grow their lead in the American League West. Joe Espada’s team has won seven of their last ten games. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/houston-astros/astros-news-carlos-correa-jeremy-https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/houston-astros/astros-news-carlos-correa-jeremy-penapena">Standout seasons from Astros like Jeremy Pena</a> have helped the team bounce back from a season where they fell short of their high standards. However, the trade deadline is a chance for Houston to get even better.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/chicago-cubs/cubs-news-chicago-land-kyle-tucker-massive-astros-trade">The Astros sent Kyle Tucker to the Chicago Cubs this offseason</a>. The NL MVP candidate will have his homecoming this weekend as the Astros host the Cubs for a three-game set. He has a chance to show Houston just how big of a mistake they made by letting him go. Espada has tried everything to make up for his absence, including throwing Jose Altuve into the Astros’ outfield.</p><p>Houston won their division and cruised into the playoffs last season. However, an embarrassing sweep at the hands of the Detroit Tigers had fans wondering if their dynasty is over. For the most part, the Astros have silenced their doubters, but the shortcomings on their roster are noticeable.</p><p>If <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/houston-astros/astros-rumors-jeff-passan-lays-trade-deadline-fate-at-feet-of-injured-star">Yordan Alvarez comes back from Houston’s injured list</a> fully recovered, the Astros should be feared. He doesn’t need to be the only injection of energy into the lineup this season. It is up to the front office to make the right deal to bring in an impact player.</p><p>Here are three trades that the Astros could make to catch the league off guard before the deadline.</p><h2>Toronto Blue Jays Starting Pitcher Max Scherzer</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Toronto-Blue-Jays-Max-Scherzer.jpg"><figcaption>© Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Astros receive: SP Max Scherzer</p><p>Blue Jays receive: SP Bruce Mayer</p><p>Framber Valdez and Hunter Brown have done a great job at the front of Espada’s starting rotation. However, the pitchers behind him have not produced nearly as much. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/houston-astros/astros-news-lance-mccullers-freak-accident-il">Lance McCullers Jr. is on Houston’s IL</a> yet again after spending more than a year out with injury. Cristian Javier is still working his way back to the mound, and Colton Gordon is unproven in high-leverage games.</p><p>Max Scherzer, on the other hand, is one of the most experienced starters in today’s game. At 40 years old, the former Cy Young Award winner has done almost everything a pitcher can do in Major League Baseball. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/toronto-blue-jays/blue-jays-news-max-scherzer-injury-return-loss-guardians">Scherzer just returned from the IL himself</a> and will make his next start against the New York Yankees early next week.</p><p>His injuries could be a big concern for a Blue Jays team that relies heavily on their pitching. On the other hand, Espada’s team has the depth to cover for Scherzer should he miss any more time. Houston’s traded deadline approach should be targeting players with high upside with low risk. Because of the makeup of their team, Scherzer fits that mold perfectly.</p><h2>Philadelphia Phillies Outfielder Max Kepler</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Max-Kepler.jpg"><figcaption>Mike Watters-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Astros receive: OF Max Kepler</p><p>Phillies receive: OF Alejandro Nunez</p><p>This trade is specifically to help Altuve and Jacob Melton in the outfield. Kepler has plenty of experience after spending the first decade of his career with the Minnesota Twins. During his time there, the 11-year pro played in the postseason <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/player/stats/_/id/31870/max-kepler" rel="noopener">four times</a>, which would help him fit in on a veteran roster in Houston.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-max-kepler-claims-being-lied-by-franchise">Kepler is upset with his lack of starts with the Phillies this season</a>. Trading for him requires Espada to convince him to accept a smaller role. However, the Astros could help him feel wanted and needed, especially with Melton on the injured list. He also gives them enough defense in the field that Espada does not have to worry about any blunders in big spots.</p><p>Kepler’s contract is an expiring deal that takes the risk out of a potential trade. The Phillies are under as much pressure as anyone to make a deal this summer. However, Philadelphia’s focus on Luis Robert Jr. could work to the Astros’ advantage. If they can poach Kepler from the Phillies, it could help them more in the long run and in the postseason.</p><h2>Washington Nationals Starting Pitcher Michael Soroka</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Michael-Soroka-throwing-a-pitch.jpg"><figcaption>Geoff Burke-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Astros receive: SP Michael Soroka</p><p>Nationals receive: SP Miguel Ullula</p><p>The Nationals’ season is all but over as the calendar turns to July. They are more than ten games out of the race in the NL East and the NL Wild Card picture. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-news-braves-michael-soroka-washington-injured-list">Michael Soroka, who has spent his fair share of time on the IL</a> this season, has not helped. The former All-Star starter has struggled to stay on the field and recapture the magic he had back in 2019.</p><p>More than five years after his peak, Soroka is in the middle of his prime. However, his best games might be behind him. Luckily for contenders around the league, they don’t need him at his best. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/washington-nationals/2-nationals-trade-block-ahead-2025-deadline">Soroka could be one of many Nationals moved next month</a>, setting the table for Houston to jump at the opportunity.</p><p>At just 27 years old, Soroka could come in and help immediately in a situation where he is under far less pressure. He would be, at best, the fourth pitcher in Espada’s rotation. Playing with an offense as good as the Astros’ should help Soroka’s confidence and his numbers increase. Trading for him would cost more than an older player would, but Houston could chose to invest in his future.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

3 sneaky trades Astros must make to boost World Series chances

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/houston-astros/astros-news-carlos-correa-jeremy-pena');   ga('set', 'title', 'Carlos Correa’s role in resurgent Jeremy Peña season');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Jeremy-Pena-2.jpg"><figcaption>William Purnell-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Carlos Correa’s role in resurgent Jeremy Peña season</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-26T10:14:47-07:00">June 26th, 10:14am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-26T10:14:47-07:00">June 26th, 10:14am</time><address><a>Zachary Draves</a>Zachary Draves is a sportswriter and broadcaster based in the Quad Cities of Illinois and Iowa. Zachary covers a variety of different sports as well as sports history, sport and society, and sport and culture. He is also a professor of sociology.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Astros</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>There’s no question that Houston Astros shortstop Jeremy Peña is having a super season. The hope is for him to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/houston-astros/astros-news-jeremy-pena-eye-opening-agent-move">stay with Astros for the long haul</a>.</p><p>As of now, Peña is batting .325 with 11 home runs, 40 RBIs, and 101 hits. Meanwhile, the Astros are 47-33 and in first place in the American League West.</p><p>Much of Peña’s success is attributed to both his talent and that of fellow infielder and former Astro Carlos Correa.</p><p>Peña said that Correa <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6451401/2025/06/26/astros-jeremy-pena-superstardom/" rel="noopener">helped him</a> appreciate the process of being a good ballplayer, per Chandler Rome of The Athletic.</p><p>“I’ve learned more about flushing games — good or bad,” Peña said. “Before, I felt like I was good at flushing bad games, but I’d ride the good games. But now: good games, bad games, eat your dinner, do your recovery, go to sleep. (Then) you have to do it again. Now, it’s about staying neutral.”</p><p>Peña’s performance is a <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/jeremy-pena-helps-astros-earn-series-opening-win-over-angels" rel="noopener">far cry</a> from when he started the year. In the first 25 games, he batted. 244 with 15 strikeouts.</p><p>Since then, Peña has batted .364 in the last 51 games.</p><p>He has been with the Astros since 2022. Peña was a key factor in their winning the World Series that year and was named the ALCS MVP.</p><p>This year, he is a strong candidate for AL MVP. There are reports that <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/houston-astros/astros-rumors-100-million-contract-hold-star-aaron-judge-territory">Pena’s $100 million contract negotiations have been put on hold</a>.</p><p>He is under contract with the Astros due to arbitration until 2027.</p><h2><b>The mentorship of Carlos Correa to Jeremy Peña</b></h2><p>Since joining the Astros, Peña has been under the watchful eye of Correa, who left in 2021. Correa took him under his wing and since then provide support and guidance.</p><p>Eventually, Correa knew that Peña would eventually take over as starting shortstop. But decided to mold him into a viable player.</p><p>Correa is now with the Minnesota Twins.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Carlos Correa’s role in resurgent Jeremy Peña season

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/houston-astros/astros-news-josh-hader-matches-franchise-save-record-phillies');   ga('set', 'title', 'Astros’ Josh Hader matches franchise history in dominant win over Phillies');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Josh-Hader-1.jpg"><figcaption>Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images.</figcaption></figure><h1>Astros’ Josh Hader matches franchise history in dominant win over Phillies</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-25T21:08:19-07:00">June 25th, 9:08pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-25T21:08:19-07:00">June 25th, 9:08pm</time><address><a>Josh Davis</a>Josh Davis is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints with a focus on MLB. As the founder and creator of OutOfSightSports, Josh spearheads the development and expansion of an engaging social media platform, with a core focus on Twitter/X. A passionate sports writer, Josh is dedicated to delivering compelling content that connects fans and fuels vibrant sports conversations. His vision is to craft stories so vivid that fans feel like they’re standing at the plate or on the field.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Astros</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Houston Astros continued their red-hot stretch with a 2-0 shutout over the Philadelphia Phillies, but all eyes were on closer <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/houston-astros/astros-news-josh-hader-perfect-2025-shuts-door-white-sox">Josh Hader</a>, who made franchise history in the win. The Houston Astros flame-throwing lefty matched a club record with his 21st consecutive save to start the season, tying a mark set by Dave Smith back in 1989.</p><p>The Astros bullpen has been one of the most reliable units in baseball this year, and Hader’s flawless run has been a key reason why. On Wednesday, the lefty came in and shut the door against Philly, locking in the team’s sixth straight win at home and cementing himself even further as one of the game’s elite closers.</p><p>Marc Berman, formerly of Fox 26, highlighted the moment on X (formerly Twitter), sharing Hader’s <a href="https://x.com/MarkBerman_/status/1938065743305916483" rel="noopener">impressive streak</a> and historical context.</p><p>“Josh Hader 21-21 in save opportunities to start the season which matches a franchise record set by Dave Smith in 1989 per @SpaceCityHN”</p><p>Hader has thrown 36.1 innings this season, posting a 1.73 ERA with 56 strikeouts and 21 saves. He’s walked just seven batters while giving up 19 hits and eight earned runs across that span. His success isn’t just about power, he’s made a sharp adjustment to his pitch mix. The lefty has increased his slider usage from 27% in 2024 to 41% in 2025. Meanwhile, he’s reduced his sinker usage, boosting both command and deception.</p><p>Wednesday’s win wasn’t just about one player. The Astros bullpen used five left-handed pitchers—a first in franchise history—to shut out a high-powered Phillies lineup. With starters like Lance McCullers not available and Framber Valdez missing time due to injury, the bullpen’s dominance has kept Houston in contention atop the AL West.</p><p>The MLB saves record may still be a long shot, but Hader is firmly establishing himself as the most dominant closer in Astros history. He also notched his 200th career save earlier this season and is making the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/houston-astros/astros-news-josh-hader-agree-contract-free-agency">five-year, $95 million deal he signed in 2024 with Houston</a> look like a bargain.</p><p>Now 21-for-21 in save opportunities, Hader’s perfect streak has not only matched franchise history—it’s anchoring a playoff-caliber team. The Astros are now 47-33, tied for the third-best record in MLB, and showing no signs of slowing down.</p><p>For Houston, the lefty isn’t just another bullpen arm. He’s a statement of intent, a weapon late in games, and the heartbeat of a team with championship aspirations.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Astros’ Josh Hader matches franchise history in dominant win over Phillies

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/houston-astros/astros-rumors-100-million-contract-hold-star-aaron-judge-territory');   ga('set', 'title', 'Astros rumors: $100 million contract ‘on hold’ for star in Aaron Judge territory');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Jeremy-Pena-of-the-Houston-Astros.jpg"><figcaption>Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Astros rumors: $100 million contract ‘on hold’ for star in Aaron Judge territory</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-25T10:40:49-07:00">June 25th, 10:40am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-25T10:40:49-07:00">June 25th, 10:40am</time><address><a>Benedetto Vitale</a>Benedetto Vitale is an avid sports writer who is an expert at covering the NFL, college football, NBA, and UFC. He graduated from the University of Oregon in 2016 with a film degree but has since dedicated his career to sports writing.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Astros</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/houston-astros/3-astros-trade-block-2025-deadline">Houston Astros are in first place</a> in the AL West and seem primed for a run in the playoffs so far this season. With the team jockeying for position, rumors are that the club is in contract talks with one of its stars to keep him on the roster long-term. However, it sounds like contract talks are on hold for now.</p><p>Reports indicate that the Astros and shortstop Jeremy Pena have put <a href="https://x.com/JonHeyman/status/1937898828549476354" rel="noopener">contract talks on hold</a>, according to Jon Heyman of The New York Post. Pena had recently changed agents in the middle of contract negotiations, so now the discussion is rumored to be on hold. The 27-year-old shortstop currently owns a 4.5 WAR, which is second in the league behind only New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge (5.8 WAR)</p><p>“Astros and star SS Jeremy Pena had been in serious long-term contract talks before his recent agent switch to Scott Boras, as I said on [the] MLB Network. Those talks are now on hold, at least for now. Pena is 2nd in MLB behind Aaron Judge with a 4.5 WAR. They were talking about a deal in the range of $100M. Now on hold.”</p><p>Pena is in the midst of a monster season. Not only does he own a 4.5 WAR, but he also has a .326 batting average and .382 OBP while recording 100 hits, 11 home runs, and 40 RBIs through 307 at-bats. That’s the type of production any team in the league would love to have in the lineup, which is why the Astros are considering giving him a $100 million contract.</p><p>Switching agents may prove to be <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/houston-astros/astros-news-jeremy-pena-eye-opening-agent-move">a smart move for Jeremy Pena</a>. There’s a possibility he didn’t like the direction the contract talks were going with his former agent. Boras has the opportunity to negotiate a bigger contract worth even more money for the four-year veteran.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Astros rumors: $100 million contract ‘on hold’ for star in Aaron Judge territory

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/houston-astros/3-astros-trade-block-2025-deadline');   ga('set', 'title', '3 Astros who must be on trade block ahead of 2025 deadline');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Houston-Astros-outfielder-Chas-McCormick.jpg"><figcaption>Troy Taormina-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>3 Astros who must be on trade block ahead of 2025 deadline</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-24T19:30:40-07:00">June 24th, 7:30pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-24T19:31:08-07:00">June 24th, 7:31pm</time><address><a>Zachary Howell</a>Zachary Howell is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints focusing on creating premier MLB content. He is a big fan of the Yankees, Oklahoma City Thunder and the Syracuse Orange. In his free time, he likes to be outside or read.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Houston Astros 45-33 heading into Tuesday’s game against the Philadelphia Phillies. Houston’s general manager hinted that he has some big plans at the trade deadline. However, more than a month away from the July 31 deadline, the Astros have given themselves plenty of room for error.</p><p>Houston holds a sizable lead over the Seattle Mariners and the rest of the American League West. After a disappointing exit at the hands of the Detroit Tigers in last year’s postseason, the Astros came back with a vengeance. Manager Joe Espada and the team’s veterans have a good chance to cap off Major League Baseball’s modern day dynasty with one last title this season.</p><p>Despite their success, Houston has areas on the team they need to address. Luckily for them, they have an surplus of talent at specific positions that they can dangle out in trades. The main goal for the team remains getting Jose Altuve back to playing second base full time in front of Mauricio Dubon.</p><p>Chas McCormick is another player that has been played out of his position in the outfield. However, McCormick is dealing with injury, something Lance McCullers Jr. knows all too well. Despite their issues and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/houston-astros/astros-rumors-jeff-passan-lays-trade-deadline-fate-at-feet-of-injured-star">the absence of Yordan Alvarez from the Houston lineup</a>, it has been business as usual for the Astros.</p><p>Espada and the front office have some pieces to play with at this year’s trade deadline. The trick is to not sacrifice too much of the future in a mad dash to win this year’s title.</p><p>Here are three players that Houston should put on the trade block before the deadline.</p><h2>Second Baseman Mauricio Dubon</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Mauricio-Dubon.jpg"><figcaption>Orlando Ramirez-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Mauricio Dubon was thrust into action at second base at the beginning of the season. After the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/chicago-cubs/cubs-news-chicago-land-kyle-tucker-massive-astros-trade">Astros sent Kyle Tucker to the Chicago Cubs</a>, there was a void in the outfield. Espada chose to have Altuve try to and fill the hole, but it has been a struggle for Houston. Dubon, on the other hand, has done decently well with opportunity he has been given.</p><p>Dubon joined the Astros in the middle of the 2022 season and has been an iron man since arriving. The seven-year pro is working on his third straight season <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/player/stats/_/id/35304/mauricio-dubon" rel="noopener">playing at least 100 games</a> for Espada and the Astros. That kind of dependability is valuable to teams looking to add help in the infield.</p><p>One of Houston’s top priorities at the deadline is getting help in their outfield. They have their eyes on big names across the league, and if they get one of them, Altuve can go back to the infield. Once he does, Dubon could be bumped to the second string of Espada’s roster, making him expendable. Houston could make the most of his stability and sell high on him to a contender that needs help in the infield.</p><h2>Starting Pitcher Lance McCullers Jr.</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Lance-McCullers.jpg"><figcaption>Troy Taormina-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/houston-astros/astros-news-lance-mccullers-reflection-first-start-2022-world-series">Lance McCullers Jr. had a long road back to the mound after injury</a>. When he was back and was settling in, fans were hopeful. However, a foot injury might have revealed a sad reality for the two-time World Series champion. At 31 years old, the veteran righty is only going to become more injury prone. That unpredictability is a big detriment in high-leverage games.</p><p>The Astros are known for developing excellent pitchers, whether they are starters or relievers. Frambez Valdez and Hunter Brown lead the rotation, but Colton Gordon, Ronel Blanco, and Ryan Gusto have all had their moments. Espada has plenty of starters at his disposal. He’ll get another weapon back as soon as Christian Javier is approved for his return to Houston from injury.</p><p>McCullers Jr. is not the worst of that group of starters by a long shot. However, he is the most proven and the one most likely to help a contender this season. At the trade deadline, teams looking for big additions value the short-term over the long-term. McCullers Jr. offers plenty of the former, making him a prime trade candidate.</p><h2>Outfielder Chas McCormick</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Chas-McCormick-ii.jpg"><figcaption>Erik Williams-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>While the Kyle Tucker move sent Altuve to the outfield, it also cleared the way for Chas McCormick. The former top prospect was supposed to capitalize on the opportunity and a stellar season in 2023 to bounce back from a rough 2024. Unfortunately he underperformed before <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/houston-astros/astros-news-outfielder-on-il-after-yordan-alvarez-update">an injury sent him to the Astros’ IL</a>.</p><p>Now that he is there, attention has shifted to players like Jacob Melton and Jake Meyers, both of whom have shown flashes this season. Bringing in another outfielder could put the writing on the ball for the rest of McCormick’s season. Despite his struggles, he has built up enough goodwill with Houston that Espada and the front office will consider any trade involving him seriously.</p><p>Plenty of teams around the league need help in the outfield on both sides of the ball. McCormick has a history of being a well-rounded player, even if it has been a while. The fact that he is buried on Espada’s depth chart might play a factor in his decreased production, though. A new team and different situation could be all that he needs to show out once again.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

3 Astros who must be on trade block ahead of 2025 deadline

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-ranger-suarez-insane-grab-astros');   ga('set', 'title', 'Phillies’ Ranger Suarez makes insane grab vs. Astros');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Ranger-Suarez-with-Philadelphia-Phillies-1.jpg"><figcaption>Erik Williams-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Phillies’ Ranger Suarez makes insane grab vs. Astros</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-24T18:58:09-07:00">June 24th, 6:58pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-24T18:58:09-07:00">June 24th, 6:58pm</time><address><a>Christopher Hennessy</a>Christopher Hennessy graduated with a journalism degree from Fordham University in 2022. He has also worked at Spectrum News One in Albany, New York and with The Hockey Writers as a New York Islanders writer. Chris is originally from Connecticut and is a lifelong New York Yankees, Islanders, and Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Astros</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Philadelphia Phillies and Houston Astros opened their series with a pitcher’s duel on Tuesday night. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/astros-news-framber-valdez-strikeout-record-nolan-ryan">Framber Valdez was dealing for Houston</a>, allowing just three hits and no runs through six innings. Phillies starter Ranger Suarez started great as well, preserving a no-hitter with an <a href="https://x.com/SportsRadioWIP/status/1937682901887332439" rel="noopener">insane catch in the fifth inning</a>.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Ranger Suarez has allowed 0 hits through 5 innings 👀 <a href="https://t.co/lsN7Hmv9yM">pic.twitter.com/lsN7Hmv9yM</a></p><p>— SPORTSRADIO 94WIP (@SportsRadioWIP) <a href="https://twitter.com/SportsRadioWIP/status/1937682901887332439?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 25, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Astros rookie right fielder Cam Smith hit a scorching line drive right back at Suarez, who snagged it out of the air. Baseball Savant says that Smith <a href="https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/gamefeed?gamePk=777377" rel="noopener">hit that ball</a> 78.8 miles per hour with an expected batting average of .380. Luckily for the Phillies, Suarez was there to snag it and get the second out of the inning. Christian Walker made an out to end the fifth, preserving the no-hitter.</p><p>Suarez’s no-hit bid did not last any longer. Yanier Diaz opened the sixth inning with a single, and Cooper Hummel followed up with one of his own. But Suarez did keep the shutout going, forcing a Mauricio Dubon double play and striking out Isaac Paredes.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-ranger-suarez-shutout-blue-jays">Suarez has been one of the many bright spots for the Phillies</a> this year. He had a 2.20 ERA in nine starts entering the game on Tuesday. That number continues to drop as he continues to mow down Astros hitters. Of all pitchers on the Phillies’ roster with more than two appearances, Suarez has the lowest ERA.</p><p>The Astros have been hot of late, going 28-15 since May 6, when they were under .500. It is a similar path to the AL West lead that they took last year, just reaching the pinnacle a little earlier. Recent struggles from the Seattle Mariners have them five games up heading into the Phillies series. That makes this performance all the more impressive from Suarez.</p><p>The Phillies and Astros will continue their series on Wednesday with Zach Wheeler and Colton Gordon taking the mound.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Phillies’ Ranger Suarez makes insane grab vs. Astros

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/houston-astros/astros-news-jeremy-pena-eye-opening-agent-move');   ga('set', 'title', 'Jeremy Peña makes eye-opening agent move');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Jeremy-Pena.jpg"></figure><h1>Jeremy Peña makes eye-opening agent move</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-23T17:16:38-07:00">June 23rd, 5:16pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-23T17:29:48-07:00">June 23rd, 5:29pm</time><address><a>Mike Gianakos</a>Mike Gianakos is the former editor-in-chief of High Times magazine, where he also spearheaded the video department and event production. He is a longtime podcaster and even longer suffering NY Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Astros</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Houston Astros shortstop Jeremy Peña is putting together the best season of his career in 2025. While Peña has long been considered one of baseball’s elite defensive shortstops, he’s contributing offensively like never before, helping the Astros surge ahead in the AL West. And Peña is hoping his breakout season <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/houston-astros/astros-news-pena-reacts-jose-altuve-support-contract-extension">leads to a multi-year contract extension</a> with Houston.</p><p>Peña took a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6446558/2025/06/23/astros-jeremy-pena-scott-boras-agent/" rel="noopener">major step</a> toward achieving his big payday, hiring super-agent Scott Boras to represent him, according to Chandler Rome of The Athletic. Peña was previously repped by Beverly Hills Sports Council.</p><h2><b>Jeremy Peña is serious about an Astros extension</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Jeremy-Pena-2.jpg"><figcaption>William Purnell-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Astros signed Peña to a one-year, $4.1 million contact for the 2025 season, avoiding arbitration. While the 27-year-old shortstop is still under club control through the 2027 season, he’s hoping to capitalize on a remarkable 2025 campaign.</p><p>Peña is slashing .326/.380/.493 with 11 home runs, 40 RBI, 47 runs scored, 15 stolen bases and a 144 OPS+ through 78 games. His 4.5 bWAR is second-best in baseball, behind only Aaron Judge’s 5.6 mark.</p><p>For the first time, Peña is batting leadoff for Houston after <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/houston-astros/astros-news-jose-altuve-request-change">Jose Altuve requested the batting order change</a>. The move has paid off for Peña and the Astros as he’s produced a .951 OPS in 52 games leading off for the team.</p><p>Peña’s play this season has helped propel the Astros past the Seattle Mariners in the division. Much like last year, Seattle had a lead in the AL West before Houston came storming back and overtook the team.</p><p>The Astros have gone 9-3 over their last 12 games, improving to 45-33 on the season and building a five-game lead over the second-place Mariners in the division. However, Houston will be tested in the coming weeks, with matchups against three National League division leaders. The Astros play the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers in nine of their next 12 games.</p><p>After a memorable rookie season in 2022, when the Astros won the championship and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/houston-astros/astros-news-jeremy-penas-world-series-mvp-win-notches-feat-mlb-has-never-seen-before">Peña was named World Series MVP</a>, ALCS MVP and won the Gold Glove for good measure, the fourth-year pro is taking on a leadership role for a very different Houston team. And his offensive production has helped cover up the numerous injuries the Astros have suffered this season.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Jeremy Peña makes eye-opening agent move

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/houston-astros/astros-news-gm-big-trade-target-update');   ga('set', 'title', 'Astros GM gives ‘big’ trade target update');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Dana-Brown-with-Houston-Astros.jpg"><figcaption>Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Astros GM gives ‘big’ trade target update</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-22T14:37:35-07:00">June 22nd, 2:37pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-22T14:37:35-07:00">June 22nd, 2:37pm</time><address><a>Christopher Hennessy</a>Christopher Hennessy graduated with a journalism degree from Fordham University in 2022. He has also worked at Spectrum News One in Albany, New York and with The Hockey Writers as a New York Islanders writer. Chris is originally from Connecticut and is a lifelong New York Yankees, Islanders, and Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Astros</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Houston Astros have soared out to a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/houston-astros/3-houston-astros-must-make-all-star-team">4.5-game lead in the American League West entering Sunday’s action</a>. Despite a slow start, the two-time champs are back in playoff contention. That means that Astros general manager Dana Brown could be active at the upcoming MLB trade deadline. He was on the pregame radio show Sunday, expressing <a href="https://x.com/Chandler_Rome/status/1936875588435812584" rel="noopener">his desire for a left-handed bat</a>.</p><p>“It’s no secret, it’d be good to get a left-handed bat. No doubt about that,” Brown said, per Chandler Rome of The Athletic. “That’s the big thing for us. We’re having discussions about other things, but the one big issue for us, it’d be nice to get a left-handed bat.”</p><p>The Astros are, understandably, right-hand dominant all the way through the roster. Only Cesar Salazar and Luis Guillorme are lefties on their roster, and they aren’t everyday players. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/astros-news-yordan-alvarez-injured-list-brewers-series">Yordan Alvarez is a lefty as well, but if currently on the injured list</a>. They also have two switch hitters, catcher Victor Cartini and outfielder Cooper Hummell. With the Crawford Boxes lingering in left field, righties should be a priority for Houston. But balance is important, too.</p><p>Rockies infielder Ryan McMahon should be on the move and would be a great fit for the Astros. He can play first, second, and third, is a strong lefty hitter, but won’t be coming for anyone’s job. The Rockies should be trying to trade anyone with value, which McMahon certainly has. His prowess at second should help spell Brendan Rogers and Mauricio Dubon, who are both struggling.</p><p>If the Astros are looking for outfield help, Jesús Sánchez of the Marlins could be the right target. His lefty stroke has gotten better in recent years, and he plays all three outfield positions. He could be a lefty platoon bat with their all-righty outfield of Altuve, Cam Smith, and Jake Myers.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Astros GM gives ‘big’ trade target update

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/houston-astros/astros-news-hunter-brown-zach-neto-benches-clearing');   ga('set', 'title', 'Astros’ Hunter Brown takes shot at Zach Neto after benches clearing incident');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Hunter-Brown-2.jpg"><figcaption>Kirby Lee-Imagn Images.</figcaption></figure><h1>Astros’ Hunter Brown takes shot at Zach Neto after benches clearing incident</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-21T08:05:06-07:00">June 21st, 8:05am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-21T08:05:06-07:00">June 21st, 8:05am</time><address><a>Josh Davis</a>Josh Davis is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints with a focus on MLB. As the founder and creator of OutOfSightSports, Josh spearheads the development and expansion of an engaging social media platform, with a core focus on Twitter/X. A passionate sports writer, Josh is dedicated to delivering compelling content that connects fans and fuels vibrant sports conversations. His vision is to craft stories so vivid that fans feel like they’re standing at the plate or on the field.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Astros</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Tensions flared dramatically on Friday night when the Houston Astros faced off against their divisional rivals, the Los Angeles Angels. In an already tense Astros vs. Angels matchup, pitcher <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/houston-astros/astros-news-hunter-brown-reveals-key-to-sudden-turnaround-amid-hot-start-to-2025-campaign">Hunter Brown</a> drilled shortstop Zach Neto with a 94.8 mph sinker, leading to a dramatic benches clearing incident.</p><p>With a runner on second and one out in the third inning, Brown’s inside pitch hit Neto squarely on the wrist. Neto immediately expressed his displeasure, clearly mouthing the words, “That’s twice,” referring to a previous incident last season. This triggered a heated exchange, prompting both teams to spill onto the field in a confrontation, although thankfully no punches were thrown or ejections handed out.</p><p>Rob Friedman, known widely as “Pitching Ninja,” shared the <a href="https://x.com/PitchingNinja/status/1936250192761942222" rel="noopener">intense moment</a> on X, formerly known as Twitter, highlighting the emotional reaction and escalating tensions between both teams.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Benches clear in the Astros/Angels game. <a href="https://t.co/Sjtr6cRfpq">pic.twitter.com/Sjtr6cRfpq</a></p><p>— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) <a href="https://twitter.com/PitchingNinja/status/1936250192761942222?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 21, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>MLB reporter Jacob Jurvis quoted Brown after the game on the platform, capturing the pitcher’s <a href="https://x.com/jacobgurvis/status/1936298372173901966" rel="noopener">blunt perspective</a> on the incident.</p><p>“Honestly, he almost swung. So I don’t know what he’s talking about. Guy stands right on top of the plate, doesn’t like when he gets hit, that’s his problem.”</p><p>Brown’s pointed comments underscore a broader discussion surrounding batters’ positioning near the plate. Indeed, Neto’s stance has led to him frequent being hit-by-pitches, ranking him among MLB’s leaders in that dubious category since his debut in 2023. The ongoing debate on player safety versus aggressive hitting tactics adds complexity to such confrontations.</p><p>This heated benches clearing incidence adds another chapter to the already intense divisional rivalry between these two clubs. Such clashes not only highlight the fierce competitive nature in the league but also emphasize the ongoing concerns around player positioning and pitch control.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/houston-astros/3-houston-astros-must-make-all-star-team">The Astros, now sitting comfortably at 44-32</a>, maintain strong postseason ambitions, while the Angels slip further behind, now at 36-39. This incident may only heighten future Astros vs. Angels encounters, adding emotional fuel to an already spirited rivalry in the American League West.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Astros’ Hunter Brown takes shot at Zach Neto after benches clearing incident

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/houston-astros/3-houston-astros-must-make-all-star-team');   ga('set', 'title', '3 Houston Astros who must make 2025 All-Star Team');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Jeremy-Pena-and-Isaac-Paredes-with-All-Star-Logo-like-you-did-with-this.jpg"></figure><h1>3 Houston Astros who must make 2025 All-Star Team</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-20T09:02:46-07:00">June 20th, 9:02am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-20T09:02:46-07:00">June 20th, 9:02am</time><address><a>RB Hayek</a>RB Hayek has been writing about sports for over a decade and is currently a member of ClutchPoints' editorial team after primarily focusing on betting content. In addition, he is also a published author of thriller novels, available on Amazon.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Houston Astros remain one of the stronger teams in baseball, and always have the players to match. Now, the fun part comes in seeing who makes it to the All-Star team. There are a few shoo-ins who might make it. Yet, others might have a tougher time. Jeremy Pena, Isaac Paredes, and Framber Valdez all should receive consideration for the All-Star team, as all are having a great season for the Astros.</p><p>The All-Star <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/2025-mlb-all-star-ballot-first-update" rel="noopener">MLB fan voting</a> has revealed the first results. So far, there are a few Astros players who are around third or fourth in the voting. Unlike past seasons, the Astros are not completely dominating the fan voting. In other words, they will need a little boost for some of their players to make it on the 2025 All-Star team this season.</p><p>The midsummer classic is just a few weeks away. It will be exciting, and always is one of the more popular events of the summer. But someone will not make it to the team. Pena, Paredes, and Valdez have all made a case, and all can certainly be on the All-Star team given what they have done this season.</p><h2><b>Jeremy Pena has competition</b></h2><p>The issue with Pena is not the player himself. It’s that he has two other shortstops ahead of him. Currently, Jacob Wilson and Bobby Witt Jr. lead the voting, which might leave Pena out. Unfortunately, that would be a travesty, considering how well he is doing this season. Pena is batting .322 with nine home runs, 37 RBIs, and 44 runs. He also has a slugging percentage of .473 and an on-base percentage of .377.</p><p><a href="https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/savant-player/jeremy-pena-665161?stats=statcast-r-hitting-mlb" rel="noopener">Baseball Savant illustrates</a> that his metrics have been above average. Significantly, his batting run value is 86, his baserunning run value is 89, and his fielding run value is 86. Pena has also been great on the basepaths, snagging 15 bags and only getting caught once. Moreover, his sprint speed value is at 97. His defense has also been excellent, as his range is at 94.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/houston-astros/astros-news-pena-reacts-jose-altuve-support-contract-extension">Pena recently signed an extension,</a> which validates the value he brings to Houston. Now, he hopes to make the All-Star team and bring the same capabilities he has shown all season with the Astros. Pena has been rock-solid all season and deserves a fair share, despite the competition.</p><h2><b>Isaac Paredes should be on the All-Star Team</b></h2><p>Paredes has been good this season. Yet, he is fifth in the All-Star voting and might not make the team unless a player suffers an injury. Despite <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/houston-astros/astros-news-isaac-paredes-leaves-white-sox-game-injury-scare" rel="noopener">recently leaving a game with an injury</a>, Paredes has maintained his consistency and continues to deliver power for the Astros. So far, he is batting .249 with 15 home runs, 44 RBIs, and 39 runs. Paredes is on pace to clobber more than 30 home runs and over 90 RBIs.</p><p>Paredes has a batting run value of 90, which is in the upper echelon of the league. Also, his chase percentage value is at 89, while his whiff percentage value is at 90. Paredes’ walk percentage value is 90, showcasing how patient he is at the plate. Overall, he has been one of the toughest hitters to get out.</p><p>Paredes has also demonstrated his importance to the team this season. Notably, he blasted his first-ever walk-off home run, clobbering a pitch into the Crawford Boxes to give the Astros the 2-1 win over the Kansas City Royals on May 13, 2025. Paredes should definitely be on the All-Star team this season.</p><h2><b>Framber Valdez makes the Astros’ rotation strong</b></h2><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/houston-astros/astros-news-framber-valdez-strikeout-record-nolan-ryan">Valdez recently set a franchise record</a>, accomplishing something that even the great Nolan Ryan had not done. Amazingly, he just keeps showing how valuable he is to the organization. Valdez is 8-4 with a 3.09 ERA over 15 starts. Overall, he has been great, and the little stats show even more.</p><p>The metrics for Valdez on Baseball Savant are off the charts. The thing that really stands out is his pitching run, fastball run, and breaking run value, which all come in at 92. Valdez lives and dies on the ground ball, as his ground ball percentage value is 97. Despite having some consistency issues with strikeouts and walks, it has not significantly affected him.</p><p>One notable performance this season includes his May 30 performance against the Tampa Bay Rays, when he hurled an 83-pitch complete game. Of course, the 12 strikeouts over five innings, the thing that set a franchise record, highlight that when he is on his game, Valdez is incredibly tough to hit. Even his last performance was good, as he allowed just two earned runs in six innings against the Athletics. Valdes has certainly displayed why he deserves to be on the All-Star team, and showcased why he is one of the best pitchers in the Astros organization.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

3 Houston Astros who must make 2025 All-Star Team

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/houston-astros/astros-news-big-cristian-javier-update-before-athletics-game');   ga('set', 'title', 'Astros’ Joe Espada reveals big Cristian Javier update before Athletics game');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Astros-pitcher-Cristian-Javier-lets-it-rip-on-the-mound.jpg"><figcaption>Troy Taormina-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Astros’ Joe Espada reveals big Cristian Javier update before Athletics game</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-19T20:29:20-07:00">June 19th, 8:29pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-19T20:30:13-07:00">June 19th, 8:30pm</time><address><a>Alex House</a>Alex House is a sports journalist who covers the NFL, NBA, and MLB for ClutchPoints. He grew up in a New York sports-heavy region in Connecticut and earned his journalism degree at the University of Rhode Island. His in-depth knowledge of two of the most passionate and raucous fan bases in the country gives him a truly unique writing voice.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Astros</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>As the Houston Astros (43-31) gain more separation in the American League West — led the Seattle Mariners by five and a half games entering Thursday night’s matchup versus the Athletics, it is becoming easier to overlook their depleted pitching staff. And that cannot happen. Although Joe Espada’s club continues to excel with more than half a dozen hurlers on the injured list, sustaining success in this state is hard to fathom. Reinforcements are essential. Fortunately, one player just made critical progress.</p><p>Astros right-handed pitcher Cristian Javier, who underwent Tommy John surgery last June, <a href="https://x.com/matthewkawahara/status/1935853751778394370" rel="noopener">threw in his first live batting practice</a>, according to the Houston Chronicle’s Matt Kawahara. He threw 20 pitches, topping at 95 mph, and did not have any issues. Espada and company will want to see how Javier feels on Friday, but this was a pivotal barrier to clear. A long-awaited return is starting to come into focus.</p><p>Houston may be able to outlast a presently lackluster division, but if the team is going to advance deep into the playoffs yet again, it will need help in the starting rotation. An October wizard like Javier could be the perfect candidate to provide that vital service in 2025. He owns a 2.68 career postseason ERA in 43 2/3 innings of work and was near-unhittable during the franchise’s 2022 World Series run.</p><p>The 28-year-old has experienced plenty of wear-and tear since that momentous triumph, but he should get the opportunity to reclaim an important role in the pitching staff after returning to the MLB roster. Apart from his big-game heroics, Javier can also add stability during the regular season. His 3.59 lifetime ERA looks pretty nice right about now, especially since Lance McCullers Jr. just landed on the IL after <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/houston-astros/astros-news-lance-mccullers-freak-accident-il">suffering a freak weight-room accident</a>.</p><p>The veteran righty is the latest Astros starter to end up on the shelf, joining Ronel Blanco, J.P. France, Spencer Arrighetti, Luis Garcia, Hayden Wesneski and Cristian Javier. This group is constantly pushed to its limits, and somehow it trudges on. But Houston does not want to merely survive. It expects to thrive.</p><p>Perhaps a healthy Javier can help make that happen. The Dominican Republic native continues his rehab.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Astros’ Joe Espada reveals big Cristian Javier update before Athletics game

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/astros-news-trade-brewers-wes-clarke-athletics-series');   ga('set', 'title', 'Astros trade for Brewers infielder amid Athletics series');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Wes.jpg"><figcaption>Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images.</figcaption></figure><h1>Astros trade for Brewers infielder amid Athletics series</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-17T21:29:35-07:00">June 17th, 9:29pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-17T21:32:14-07:00">June 17th, 9:32pm</time><address><a>Josh Davis</a>Josh Davis is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints with a focus on MLB. As the founder and creator of OutOfSightSports, Josh spearheads the development and expansion of an engaging social media platform, with a core focus on Twitter/X. A passionate sports writer, Josh is dedicated to delivering compelling content that connects fans and fuels vibrant sports conversations. His vision is to craft stories so vivid that fans feel like they’re standing at the plate or on the field.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Astros</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/houston-astros/astros-news-jose-altuve-defensive-future-jacob-melton-call-up">Houston Astros made a quiet but calculated move</a> during their series on the road against the Athletics in West Sacramento, acquiring power-hitting first baseman Wes Clarke from the Milwaukee Brewers. The trade adds minor league depth as Houston continues to navigate a competitive AL West playoff race that might come down to the last game.</p><p>The timing of the trade with the Brewers came just four days after Milwaukee picked up first baseman Andrew Vaughn, which created a roster logjam at Triple-A Nashville. With Clarke now blocked by Vaughn, Tyler Black, and Bobby Dalbec at the same level, the Brew Crew opted to move the 25-year-old in exchange for what is expected to be cash considerations or a low-level prospect.</p><p>BBWAA member Francys Romero first reported the move on X (formerly known as Twitter) informing the baseball world of the recent move.</p><p>“Source: The Brewers have traded 1B Wes Clarke to the Houston Astros. Clarke, 25, has belted 24 home runs over the last two seasons with Triple-A Nashville.”</p><p>Clarke brings a classic <a href="https://x.com/francysromeroFR/status/1935125164959604861" rel="noopener">high-risk, high-reward</a> profile. He’s a former 10th-round pick out of the University of South Carolina and has hit 72 home runs in the minors. His 2025 numbers at Triple-A Nashville include a .216 batting average, .352 on-base percentage, .358 slugging percentage, and six home runs in 46 games. He walks at a high rate but struggles with swing-and-miss issues, holding a strikeout rate over 30 percent.</p><p>Clarke is expected to join Houston’s Triple-A affiliate as a depth piece. With Christian Walker signed through 2027, and backup options like Yordan Alvarez and Isaac Paredes available, there is no immediate MLB role for Clarke. However, the Astros often invest in power bats they believe they can refine through internal development.</p><p>For the Brewers, moving Clarke clears space and simplifies their crowded Triple-A Nashville depth chart. For the Astros, it represents a low-cost chance to develop a potential bench power bat who can contribute in 2026 or beyond if improvements are made.</p><p>Clarke has primarily played first base and designated hitter this season, with no catching appearances in 2025. While his contact issues are a concern, Houston’s system has a track record of developing players with similar tools.</p><p>As the AL West playoff race tightens, depth additions like Clarke could prove valuable in the long run. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/houston-astros/astros-news-houston-trades-struggling-pitcher-to-rays">The Astros continue to build a system</a> that can withstand injuries or cold stretches down the stretch, and Clarke fits that mold—a controllable, high-upside piece with long-term potential.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Astros trade for Brewers infielder amid Athletics series

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/houston-astros/astros-news-lance-mccullers-freak-accident-il');   ga('set', 'title', 'Astros’ Lance McCullers Jr. heads to IL after suffering ‘freak accident’');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Lance-McCullers-1.jpg"><figcaption>Thomas Shea-Imagn Images.</figcaption></figure><h1>Astros’ Lance McCullers Jr. heads to IL after suffering ‘freak accident’</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-16T17:57:31-07:00">June 16th, 5:57pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-16T17:57:31-07:00">June 16th, 5:57pm</time><address><a>Josh Davis</a>Josh Davis is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints with a focus on MLB. As the founder and creator of OutOfSightSports, Josh spearheads the development and expansion of an engaging social media platform, with a core focus on Twitter/X. A passionate sports writer, Josh is dedicated to delivering compelling content that connects fans and fuels vibrant sports conversations. His vision is to craft stories so vivid that fans feel like they’re standing at the plate or on the field.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Astros</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/houston-astros/astros-news-lance-mccullers-extra-rest-joe-espada-explanation">Houston Astros starter Lance McCullers Jr.</a> has been placed on the injured list after a “freak accident” in the team’s weight room. The sprain, located above his big toe, will sideline the right-hander for at least 15 days, retroactive to June 13th.</p><p>The Athletic’s Chandler Rome <a href="https://x.com/Chandler_Rome/status/1934765697164562830" rel="noopener">shared new details</a> about the freak accident in a post on X (formerly known Twitter).</p><p>“Freak accident in the weight room lands McCullers on the 15-day IL, per Astros. It’s a sprained right foot above his big toe. Retroactive to Friday.”</p><p>To fill the rotation gap, rookie right-hander Ryan Gusto will start Monday against the Athletics after being moved up from his originally scheduled Tuesday slot. Jason Alexander has been recalled from Triple-A Sugar Land to take McCullers’ roster spot, adding to the ongoing reshuffling of the Astros’ pitching staff.</p><p>This injury adds to the Astros’ growing list of pitching concerns, as the team is already without Ronel Blanco, Hayden Wesneski, Spencer Arrighetti, Luis Garcia, Cristian Javier, and J.P. France. While McCullers’ sprain is unrelated to his previous elbow issues, it presents a separate setback during a pivotal stretch of the season.</p><p>The Astros have won the AL West title seven times in the last eight seasons, with their only miss occurring during the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign. Despite a string of setbacks, the club remains atop the AL West with a 41–30 record. Still, the absence of McCullers strips the rotation of a trusted veteran, forcing Houston to lean more heavily on its rookie arms and bullpen depth to stay in control of the division.</p><p>With <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/houston-astros/astros-news-lance-mccullers-reflection-first-start-2022-world-series">McCullers back on the shelf</a>, the freak accident in the weight room becomes yet another frustrating blow to a staff already stretched thin by injuries. As Houston continues to battle for positioning in the AL West, the spotlight now shifts to Gusto and the next wave of young arms. Their ability to stabilize the rotation could determine whether the Astros stay afloat in the playoff race—or fall victim to mounting health setbacks at a critical point in the season.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

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