The Astros are 17-28. That sentence used to be impossible to type. Carlos Correa is done for the year after ankle surgery, the rotation ERA is bottom-five in baseball, and the bullpen has been a literal dumpster fire. Houston isn't just slumping — the dynasty roster is being held together by tape and Triple-A call-ups.
- Day-To-DayNathan Eovaldi SP — Eovaldi (side) threw a bullpen session without issue Wednesday and expects to make his next scheduled start Sunday in Houston, Jeff Wilson of AllDLLS.com reports.
- Day-To-DaySebastian Walcott SS — Rangers GM Ross Fenstermaker said Tuesday that Walcott could be ready for game action in August, "if all things according to plan" in his rehab from the internal brace procedure he underwent on his right elbow, Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News reports.
- 10-Day-ILCody Freeman 3B — Freeman (back) will begin a rehab assignment with the Rangers' Arizona Complex League affiliate Thursday.
- 10-Day-ILJosh Smith 2B — Smith (lower body) is dealing with a wrist injury that will delay his rehab program, Jeff Wilson of AllDLLS.com reports.
- 10-Day-ILWyatt Langford LF — Langford (forearm) rejoined the Rangers in Detroit on Saturday and will rest for a full week before being reevaluated by the team, Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News reports.
- 15-Day-ILChris Martin RP — Martin (biceps) is expected to begin a rehab assignment Tuesday or Wednesday, Shawn McFarland of the Dallas Morning News reports.
- 15-Day-ILCarter Baumler RP — Baumler (intercostal) has been shut down from his rehab assignment, MLB.com reports.
- 15-Day-ILRobert Garcia RP — Garcia (shoulder) began throwing from 80 feet out Friday, Jeff Wilson of AllDLLS.com reports.
- Day-To-DayWalker Janek C — Double-A Corpus Christi placed Janek on its 7-day injured list Sunday due to an unspecified injury.
- Day-To-DayLucas Spence OF — Double-A Corpus Christi placed Spence on its 7-day injured list April 22 due to an unspecified injury.
- 10-Day-ILJeremy Pena SS — Pena (hamstring/neck) hopes to resume his rehab assignment with Double-A Corpus Christi on Friday, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.
- 10-Day-ILJake Meyers CF — Meyers (oblique) is slated to begin a rehab assignment this week, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.
- 10-Day-ILCarlos Correa SS — Correa is scheduled to undergo surgery Monday in Houston to repair the tendon in his left ankle, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
- 10-Day-ILJoey Loperfido LF — The Astros announced Monday that Loperfido (quadriceps) has started light running and light baseball activity, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.
- 10-Day-ILTaylor Trammell CF — The Astros announced Monday that Trammell (groin) has begun a running progression in addition to taking part in light baseball activity, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.
- 10-Day-ILYainer Diaz C — The Astros placed Diaz (oblique) on the 10-day injured list Tuesday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
Even with all that, the matchup gives Houston a real puncher's chance tonight, and his name is Spencer Arrighetti. The 1.88 ERA is no fluke — he's allowed one earned run or fewer in four of his five outings, including the May 2 win over Boston where he gutted through 5 innings of 1-run ball. The walks (17 in 28.2 IP) are a worry, but the Rangers haven't exactly been mashing right-handed strike-throwers either.
Jack Leiter, meanwhile, is doing the Jack Leiter thing. His last start in Detroit was the whole career in one outing: perfect through 4, matched a career-high 10 strikeouts, then coughed up 5 earned and took the loss in 6.2. He hasn't won a game since his season debut in March and has surrendered 7 homers in 38 innings. Minute Maid's short porch is not the park you want to fix that in.
The market sees this as a genuine pick'em on the moneyline (-104 both ways) which tells you exactly how much respect Arrighetti's getting versus how little the books trust Houston's lineup without Correa, Yainer Diaz, Jeremy Pena, and Jake Meyers. That's a starting infield-plus worth of names on the IL card.
Texas has won 4 of its last 5 and is finally getting healthy enough on the pitching side that Nathan Eovaldi is lined up to start Sunday in this same series. Get through Arrighetti tonight, even with a split, and the Rangers should feel great about the weekend. The pick'em line is the tell — back the team that isn't actively falling apart.