Identifying Biggest Issue for Astros Heading Down the Stretch

As the Houston Astros get set for an important series against the New York Yankees, the team has to be nervous about their current situation.

Despite being buyers at the trade deadline and trying to improve the team, the Astros have both the Seattle Mariners and the Texas Rangers gaining ground on them in the American League West.

Injuries have piled up for Houston, and the team hasn’t been able to overcome the loss of Isaac Paredes just yet.

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At the trade deadline, the Astros figured to be an aggressive team, and they were. Houston was able to add a couple of hitters, with the most notable addition being the reunion with Carlos Correa.

However, they weren’t able to add a middle-of-the-rotation starting pitcher like they were seeking, which has left some question marks in that area. While adding a starter would have been ideal, this is a team that needs help in the lineup.

Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report recently wrote about the biggest weakness for the Astros being their lack of left-handed hitters.

“With Kyle Tucker now in Chicago and Yordan Alvarez struggling for 29 games before landing on the IL for what has been more than three months, Houston's lack of left-handed bats has become a full-blown thing.”

It has not been an easy campaign offensively for Houton. Early on in the season, they saw star slugger Yordan Alvarez head to the injured list with a hand injury. He still hasn’t returned for the Astros, and that has left a major void in the lineup.

The slugger is capable of carrying this unit when healthy, but that timeline of return is still uncertain. When Alvarez is playing well, he can be in the same conversation with players like Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani.

While his absence has been noticeable, it has been highlighted by the fact that there aren’t many other left-handed hitters in the batting order. The Astros have essentially played this year without their two best left-handed hitters from the campaign prior, with Kyle Tucker now being a member of the Chicago Cubs.

At the deadline, the addition of Correa should help fill the void left by the injury to Paredes, but it doesn’t fill the need for a left-handed bat. The team acquired Jesus Sanchez from the Miami Marlins to likely enter a platoon role in the outfield as a left-handed bat.

Sanchez has performed well so far since being traded, and Houston will need him to sustain that success.

Hopefully, the return of Alvarez will happen this month. If it does, the Astros will be much better equipped to handle the charge of other AL West competitors.