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<!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

2025 SEASON STATS
IP	ERA	K	WHIP	HOLDS	SAVES
6	4.5	3	2	1	0

2025 SEASON STATS
IP	ERA	K	WHIP	HOLDS	SAVES
6	4.5	3	2	1	0

Jordan
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Jordan Weems

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Jordan
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