Astros vs Rangers

After missing the first month of the season with an oblique injury, Sousa is now set to sit out another couple of weeks due to an elbow issue, though it remains unknown whether he'll require more than a minimum stay. Jayden Murray was recalled from Triple-A Sugar Land to fill the void in Houston's bullpen.

The Astros could provide an official timeline for Correa's return once surgery is completed, but the veteran infielder has already been ruled out for the season and is expected to require around 6-to-8 months to fully recover from the procedure. Correa slashed .279/.369/.418 with three home runs, one stolen base, 16 RBI and 22 runs over 141 plate appearances in 32 games before suffering the ankle injury in batting practice prior to Tuesday's 2-1 win over the Dodgers.

Javier had been shut down from throwing since landing on the shelf April 10 with a Grade 2 shoulder strain. Fellow starter Hunter Brown was placed on the injured list with the same injury April 7, but he appears to be much further along in the recovery process, as he's been able to throw off flat ground out to 120 feet and could throw his first bullpen session later this week. Given that general manager Dana Brown recently said that the Astros are hoping to get Brown back from the IL around early to mid-June, it's fair to expect Javier's absence to stretch into the latter half of June, if not July.

Brown was given roughly a two-month return timeline when he was diagnosed with a Grade 2 right shoulder strain in early April, so moving to the 60-day IL doesn't affect his timeline much. The right-hander began throwing bullpen sessions Friday and will likely do so several more times before getting the green light to throw live batting practice and eventually head out on a rehab assignment. Rhylan Thomas was claimed off waivers from Seattle in a corresponding move.

It's not clear when or where exactly his rehab assignment will get kicked off, but it will be Meyers' first game action in more than a month, as he's been shelved by a Grade 2 right oblique strain. The Astros have been using Brice Matthews and Zach Cole in center field lately, but Meyers should be the primary option at the position once he's deemed ready for activation.

Pena's neck prevented him from working as the DH in Double-A Corpus Christi's game Wednesday, but Astros manager Joe Espada didn't seem concerned about it becoming a long-term issue. The 28-year-old infielder is expected to return to minor-league action Thursday and could make his return to Houston's lineup sometime during the weekend series against Texas.

Manager Joe Espada previously said on April 20 that Loperfido had been cleared for baseball activity, and though the outfielder appears to have since added some running work to the mix, he's not been able to take any other meaningful steps forward in his recovery from a right quad strain. The Astros are expected to turn to Zach Cole and Dustin Harris to serve as their primary options in left field while Loperfido remains on the shelf.

The right-hander has been on the shelf about a month due to arm fatigue, but he's ready to re-enter Houston's rotation after two rehab starts in the minor leagues. Imai threw 63 pitches over three innings during his final rehab outing, so he should have some workload limitations in his first couple starts back with the Astros. Prior to the absence, the 28-year-old surrendered seven earned runs with a 13:11 K:BB over 8.2 frames in his first three big-league starts.

Trammell is working his way back from a left groin strain, which sent him to the 10-day injured list April 21. He looks like he has a few more boxes to check in the recovery process before advancing to a minor-league rehab assignment and a return to the Astros' active roster. Trammell opened the season as a non-roster player for the Astros but reached the big leagues April 10 when Houston's outfield depth was tested by injuries. Before getting hurt himself, Trammell acquitted himself well over his 10 games with the big club, slashing .345/.424/.448 over 33 plate appearances.

A left oblique strain caused Diaz to be scratched from the lineup ahead of Monday's contest and will now also prevent him from playing for another 10 days. Christian Vazquez will presumably take over as the Astros' primary catcher while Diaz is on the shelf, and Nick Allen (back) will come off the injured list to claim the open roster spot.

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McCullers was visited on the mound by manager Joe Espada and a team trainer at one point during his start, and though he was able to stay in the game, he continued to struggle with his control before the Astros pulled him from the contest. In addition to issuing three free passes, McCullers threw three wild pitches and found the strike zone on just 39 of his 70 pitches overall. Even if McCullers checks out fine on the health front and is ready to make his next start, the Astros may have to begin considering moving him out of the rotation. After his disastrous outing Wednesday, McCullers's ERA now sits at 7.41 over 34 innings on the season.

Baumler made three appearances while on his rehab assignment but experienced a setback and hasn't pitched since April 28. It's unclear when the right-hander will restart a throwing program.

Martin, who has been in the 15-day injured list since April, made progress over the last week. He most recently threw a 25-pitch inning of live batting practice Saturday and is ready to rehab, likely at Triple-A Round Rock, which kicks off a series Tuesday against Sacramento. It's unclear how long Martin will need or if the Rangers will want him to throw on back-to-back days before activating the 39-year-old right-hander.

Smith landed on the 10-day injured list this past Tuesday due to a right glute strain. A minimum stint on the IL would have Smith eligible to return May 15, but his new wrist issue will likely push that return date by at least a few days. Prior to his placement on the IL, Smith was slashing .217/.324/.239 with two steals and six RBI across 108 plate appearances.

Curvelo threw just two pitches Tuesday before leaving the game with an injury, and he's now set to miss at least the next 15 days as well. With Chris Martin (biceps) also landing on the IL on Wednesday, Gavin Collyer and Cal Quantrill will come up from the minors to fill the openings in Texas' pitching staff.

Garcia is seeing improvement in his shoulder every time he throws, but he is still dealing with some discomfort and isn't close to returning to Texas' bullpen. The Rangers may offer an update on his return timeline after he is cleared to resume mound work.

Langford had been on track to return to the lineup Saturday but was pulled from his first game at extended spring training Thursday after aggravating his injured forearm in his first at-bat. He said afterward that his forearm felt like it did when he first strained it, so the Rangers will play it safe and allow him to rest for a while. An updated timeline for his return could emerge once he's cleared to resume activities.

Nimmo made an early exit from Tuesday's contest after rolling his ankle in the sixth inning. X-rays came back negative after the game, but the Rangers will still approach the situation on a day-to-day basis. If Nimmo isn't cleared to play in Wednesday's series finale, Sam Haggerty would be a likely candidate to pick up a start in the outfield.

Eovaldi had to be scratched from a scheduled start Monday against the Diamondbacks due to tightness in his left side. However, he has bounced back quickly and appears poised to miss only the one turn. The veteran right-hander has been excellent in his last two starts, logging a 0.60 ERA, 0.53 WHIP and 15:1 K:BB.