Looking at the Houston Astros injury report for the AL Wild Card Game 2 against the Chicago White Sox with the season on the line.
The Houston Astros head into the AL Wild Card Game 2 down 1-0 with the season on the line after losing 6-3 to the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, the Astros absolutely have to win to be able to have a chance to extend the series because a loss ends their season and advances the White Sox to the ALDS.
With that said, health is also a key factor in this game and in the playoffs overall. So, let's take a look at the Astros' injury report heading into Game 2 of the AL Wild Card.
To start off this injury report, there are two players who could possibly return at some point this postseason, two who are to be determined, while there are four who appear to be out for the rest of the season.
The players who could return this postseason include left-handed pitcher Steven Okert and right-handed pitcher Enyel De Los Santos.
Okert is dealing with a right hamstring strain, and his status is that he has resumed throwing off the mound however, he was not on the AL Wild Card series roster. Los Santos has been dealing with right knee tendinitis, with his latest status being that the injury occurred during his throwing program and that the injury is behind his leg and hamstring area.
So, it will be interesting to see if Okert or Los Santos are able to return at some point in the postseason, but that will most likely be if the Astros advance to the ALDS, as Okert and Los Santos were not included on the AL Wild Card series roster.
Next up, the players to be determined include right-handed pitcher Mike Burrows and outfielder Brice Matthews.
Burrows has been dealing with right elbow neuritis as well as right shoulder inflammation. The latest update on Burrows is that he was not included on the AL Wild Card Series roster. For Matthews, he is working through left knee inflammation, with his latest status being that he injured the knee while making a sliding catch in the second inning on September 22nd, but there is no structural damage, and he was also not on the AL WC Series roster.
With that in mind, it will be worth monitoring the status of Burrows and Matthews if the Astros are able to advance to the ALDS just like Okert and Los Santos.
Lastly when it comes to the players out for the season, that includes outfielder Daulton Varsho, right-handed pitcher Cristian Javier, shortstop Carlos Correa, and left-handed pitcher Brandon Walter.
Starting with Varsho he has a likely return of 2027 as he has been dealing with left wrist inflammation.
The latest status for Varsho is that he has been battling cysts in his wrist for three months, and the pain has become too much to play, so he was set to see a hand specialist on September 29th. Varsho ended up having arthroscopic surgery to have the cysts removed, so he will be out for the year. With that news, it will be interesting to see how he progresses.
Next up is Javier who is working through a Grade 2 right groin strain with his status being that he will be out for the rest of the year after suffering the Grade 2 right groin strain on September 22nd pitching in Seattle. So, it will be worth watching how Javier does heal and if he will be ready for the start of 2027.
Thirdly, in the out for the season category is Correa, who is recovering from the surgery he had to repair the torn peroneus brevis tendon in his left ankle.
At one point, it seemed that Correa could return this year, but his latest status is that he was rehabbing at the team's facility in West Palm Beach, Florida, and on September 15th, he decided to not push for a return this year and instead focus on a return for 2027. As a result, it will be intriguing to monitor how he progresses and whether he can be ready early on in 2027.
The last player on the injury report and the out for season designation is Walter whose status is that he is still recovering from the Tommy John Surgery he had on September 25th, 2025 to repair the torn ulnar collateral ligament in his left elbow. As a result, Walter will miss the rest of this season. So, it will be interesting to watch how he moves forward and if he can provide depth on the mound at the start of 2027.
When it comes to injuries heading into Game 2 of the AL WC series, manager Joe Espada has a ton to monitor, but none of these players have the ability to return as they were all left off the AL WC Series roster.
So, it will be interesting to see if the Astros can win back-to-back games on Wednesday and Thursday to win this series and advance to the ALDS, because if they can, they could get a few players back, but if not, the season will be over, and all attention will be pointed to 2027.
