Taking a look at the Houston Astros injury report ahead of the season opener against the Kansas City Royals.
The Houston Astros head into the series opener against the Kansas City Royals tonight, hoping to respond after getting swept 3-0 by the Tampa Bay Rays in the previous series.
As a result of getting swept by the Rays, the Astros now have an overall record of 75-75 which gives Houston and one game lead over the Texas Rangers for the top spot in the AL West. With that said, the race for the division has gotten very tight, so the Astros must find a way to respond and create more of a cushion.
On that note, in order for Houston to respond, one of the biggest things they can do is to get healthy, so let's take a look at the injury report for the Astros as they head into the series opener against the Royals.
First up is shortstop Carlos Correa who is still recovering from the surgery he had done to repair the torn peroneus brevis tendon in his left ankle. Correa' injury occurred on May 5th while the surgery was done on May 11th and as a result of the injury Correa was placed on the IL on May 6th and then was moved to the 60-day IL on June 2nd.
At this point, Correa does have an opportunity to return at some point this season, as he has progressed quite well. In terms of Correa's status, he has been continuing to rehab at the team's spring training facility in West Palm Beach, Florida, but will head to Houston in the coming days to be seen by doctors.
Additionally, the Astros would like Correa to get into Triple-A games by the end of the week, so it will be interesting to see if Correa can play in those Triple-A games as well as how he performs.
Next is outfielder and infielder Brice Matthews, who is still dealing with a left knee sprain that he suffered on July 12th. The injury placed Matthews on the IL on July 17th, and then he was transferred to the 60-day IL on August 19th.
In terms of a timetable, Matthews return is still to be determined so his situation will be one to monitor. However Matthews did play for Triple-A Sugar Land on September 10th and went 0 for 3 with a walk and a strikeout. In Matthews' most recent game for Sugar Land on September 13th, he went 0 for 5 with two strikeouts. So, as Matthews continues to progress it will be intriguing to see if he can bounce back.
The third player on this injury report is right-handed pitcher Mike Burrows who is still battling through right elbow neuritis as well as right shoulder inflammation. As a result of the injury, Burrows was placed on the 15-day IL on July 13th, which is retroactive to July 7th.
With that said, the timetable for Burrows is still to be determined so it does seem like he has some work to do to get back in the lineup. However, Burrows did throw a bullpen at the team's spring training facility in West Palm Beach, Florida on September 13 so it will interesting to hear how that went and what it could mean for his recovery.
Next up is left-handed pitcher Steven Okert, who is working through a right hamstring strain. Okert's injury placed him on the 15-day IL on September 4th, which is retroactive to September 1st. At this point, Okert's expected return is actually today, September 15th, however, he has not been officially activated, so that will be something to monitor.
Additionally, Okert has been rehabbing at the team's spring training facility in West Palm Beach, Florida, as well, and based on the update given last week, he was set to progress through the throwing program, so the next update given should provide more clarity as to Okert's status and timetable.
The final player on the injury report is left-handed pitcher Brandon Walter, who is recovering from the Tommy John surgery he had on September 23rd, 2025, to repair the torn ulnar collateral ligament in his left elbow.
With this injury, Walter was placed on the 60-day IL on March 25th and will miss the entirety of this season, but he is expected to be back for the 2027 season, which could be huge for the Astros' pitching staff.
So, with the race for the AL West getting tight, if the Astros can get back Correa, Matthews, Burrows, and Okert soon, Houston could be in a good position to clinch the division, and additionally, if Walter is ready for 2027, the Astros could be significantly better in the bullpen from the mound.
