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Hader (biceps) played catch off the mound Wednesday, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Hader was just tossing the ball and not throwing a bullpen session, so while it's a step in his rehab progression, it's a minor one. Astros manager Joe Espada said Thursday that Hader is not yet scheduled for a bullpen session. It appears unlikely at this point that Hader will have time to ramp up for Opening Day, and if that's the case, Bryan Abreu would be in line to fill in as Houston's closer.
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Astros' Yordan Alvarez: Set for spring debut next week
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Astros manager Joe Espada said Thursday that Alvarez will make his Grapefruit League debut next week, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
Alvarez is being eased into game action this spring following last year's injury issues, but he is considered fully healthy. The Astros plan for the slugger to spend most of his time in the designated-hitter slot this season in hopes that it will help keep him healthy, but Alvarez should still see the occasional start in left field.
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Astros' Lucas Spence: Scratched with neck issue
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Spence was scratched from Thursday's Grapefruit League lineup against the Cardinals due to a neck injury, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
Spence had been slated to start in center field and bat sixth, but he'll be replaced by Ethan Frey instead. Consider Spence -- who is slated to begin the 2026 season in the minors -- day-to-day for now.
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Astros' Jason Alexander: Hit hard in spring debut
Rotowire
Alexander allowed four runs on five hits and a walk across two-thirds of an inning in Tuesday's Grapefruit League matchup with the Mets. He struck out one.
It was a disastrous start to the spring for Alexander, who gave up back-to-back one-out singles before Mike Tauchman smacked a three-run homer in the first inning. Alexander then gave up a solo shot to Ronny Mauricio with two outs, followed by a single and a walk, before he was ultimately pulled. Alexander served as a swingman for Houston after he was acquired off waivers from the A's in May. The right-hander posted a 4.77 ERA with a 1.37 WHIP and 65:26 K:BB across 77.1 innings between the Astros and Athletics. Alexander will likely start the year with Triple-A Sugar Land if he can't crack the Opening Day bullpen.
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Astros' Yainer Diaz: Return confirmed
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Diaz (foot) will be the designated hitter Wednesday and will start at catcher in Friday's Grapefruit League game, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Diaz was delayed due to a foot sprain suffered in the Dominican Winter League, but he isn't too far behind, as he's scheduled to catch in a game before the end of February. Cesar Salazar is Diaz's only backup, so there should be ample playing time available for the latter once he puts the foot sprain behind him.
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Astros' Yordan Alvarez: Spring debut TBD
Rotowire
Alvarez will not make his spring debut until "a little bit later" due to normal buildup, per manager Joe Espada, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Carlos Correa and Christian Walker are slated to make their debuts Thursday, with Jose Altuve debuting Friday and Alvarez debuting sometime after that. Alvarez is discounted in fantasy drafts this year due to his injury issues in 2025, so it will be worth tracking how long his spring debut is delayed.
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Astros' AJ Blubaugh: Competing for final rotation spot
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Blubaugh is a candidate to fill one of the Astros' final two rotation spots, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
Houston will open the year with a six-man rotation to smooth Tatsuya Imai's transition from the NPB. Per Rome, Spencer Arrighetti and Lance McCullers are the early favorites to claim the final two spots, though Blubaugh, along with Ryan Weiss and Peter Lambert, remains in the mix and could bolster his case with a strong spring. Blubaugh was impressive as a rookie in 2025, posting a 1.69 ERA with a 0.88 WHIP and 35 strikeouts across 32 innings. Even if he doesn't crack the rotation out of camp, Blubaugh figures to make the Opening Day roster as a bullpen option.
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Astros' Kai-Wei Teng: Competing for bullpen spot
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Teng has impressed the Astros' staff early in spring, giving him a chance to make the Opening Day roster, per Chandler Rome of The Athletic.
Per Rome, Houston has been impressed by Teng's ability to record swinging strikes "with multiple breaking balls". The right-hander was traded to the Astros in late January after posting a 6.37 ERA across 29.2 innings with San Francisco last year. Teng's ability to provide multiple innings out of the bullpen is certainly viewed as an asset, as Houston plans to open the season with a six-man rotation. Their middle relief depth has already been tested, as Enyel De Los Santos (knee) has yet to resume throwing, opening the door for Teng to claim a roster spot.
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Astros' Bryan Abreu: Could open year as closer
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Abreu could start the season as Houston's closer, with Josh Hader's (bicep) status unclear, per Chandler Rome of The Athletic.
Hader has been limited to playing catch off flat ground thus far in spring, leaving his availability for Opening Day in doubt. If Hader does ultimately start the year on the IL, Abreu would be the clear choice to assume closing duties. The right-hander has been excellent as a setup man for the Astros, posting a combined 2.30 ERA over his last four seasons. Abreu logged 25 holds and a career-high seven saves in 2025.
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Astros' Mike Burrows: Sharp in spring debut
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Burrows pitched two innings in Sunday's Grapefruit League matchup against the Cardinals, allowing no runs on one hit and a walk while striking out two.
It was an encouraging Astros debut for Burrows, who got the start against a St. Louis lineup that featured some projected Opening Day starters. Burrows, who joined Houston via trade in December, is coming off a solid rookie season with the Pirates, where he posted a 3.94 ERA with a 1.24 WHIP and 9.1 K/9 across 96 innings. The right-hander is expected to slot into the middle of a new-look Astros' rotation.
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Astros' Nate Pearson: Still ramping up after surgery
Rotowire
Pearson (elbow) is still in a velocity ramp-up progression and might not be ready for Opening Day, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
The Astros aren't sure whether Pearson will be able to appear in Grapefruit League games, pointing to a likely stint on the injured list to begin the season. Pearson will be stretched out as a starting pitcher, but he does not have minor-league options remaining, so his role once he's healthy could be dependent on the Astros' needs at the time.
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Astros' Josh Hader: Might not be ready for Opening Day
Rotowire
Hader (biceps) could begin the season on the injured list, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
The Astros have not ruled Hader out for Opening Day as he works his way back from left biceps inflammation. However, the closer is not included in the team's roster projection by Rome, who writes that it's "difficult to envision" the Astros rushing Hader back for the opener. Hader is currently limited to playing light catch on flat ground and it's unclear when he'll be allowed to throw off a mound again. If Hader does need to miss time, Bryan Abreu would assume the closer role for the Astros.
Alexander signed a minor-league contract with the Astros on Tuesday.
Alexander spent nearly all of 2025 at Triple-A, slashing .254/.355/.450 across 462 total plate appearances with three organizations. He'll now begin the 2026 campaign in the Astros' farm system and is again likely to spend most of the year at Triple-A Sugar Land.
Hader (biceps) played catch out to 90 feet Wednesday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
Hader is still in the early stages of his throwing program after he was briefly shut down earlier this month when he experienced inflammation in his left biceps. Prior to that, Hader missed the final month and a half of the 2025 season while recovering from a left shoulder strain, but he appeared to have a normal offseason before the biceps issue cropped up following his fourth bullpen session of the winter, per Chandler Rome of The Athletic. Hader still has a chance of completing his throwing program in advance of Opening Day, but if he suffers a setback or otherwise requires a brief stint on the injured list to begin the season, Bryan Abreu would likely rank as the top option for saves out of the Houston bullpen.
Gordon is likely to open the season with Triple-A Sugar Land, Matt Kawahara of The Houston Chronicle reports.
Gordon will start the Astros' Grapefruit League opener Saturday against Washington, though the left-hander is one of seven pitchers competing for Houston's final rotation spot. Gordon appeared in 20 MLB games, including 14 starts, as a swingman last season, posting a 5.34 ERA with a 1.42 WHIP and 7.5 K/9 across 86 innings.
Biggio said Monday that he's about 2-to-3 weeks away from being ready to play in Grapefruit League games while he works his way back from offseason arthroscopic surgery on his right elbow, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
Biggio will be attending big-league camp after signing a minor-league deal with the Astros on Sunday, but he'll be behind Houston's other position players early in spring training while he completes his post-surgery ramp-up program. Assuming he's able to play in games by early March, Biggio should keep himself in the mix for a utility spot on the Astros' Opening Day roster.
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