Astros vs Twins

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 resumed flat-ground throwing a little over a week ago and might be ready to take another big step in his rehab this weekend. The right-hander is working his way back from a Grade 2 right shoulder strain, and the Astros have tentatively projected him to return by early- to mid-June.

Meyers had been shut down after being diagnosed with a Grade 2 right oblique strain over three weeks ago. He will eventually need a rehab assignment once he gets sufficiently ramped up and should be able to return from the injured list before the end of May if all goes well.

Pena has been shelved since mid-April with a Grade 1 right hamstring strain but appears nearly ready to test things out in a game setting. Since his absence has been relatively brief, Pena should not require too many rehab at-bats before returning to the Astros' active roster.

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.

Houston placed Allen on the 10-day injured list April 20 after he experiencing mid-back spasms, but he should be ready to rejoin the big club by the middle of May. He's expected to continue his rehab assignment through the end of the week, though it's unclear whether he'll stick around with Corpus Christi or move to a different affiliate.

The Japanese right-hander made his first rehab appearance with Double-A Corpus Christi on Tuesday, allowing five runs over two innings. Imai struggled to a 7.27 ERA and a 13:11 K:BB in his first three MLB starts before landing on the shelf, so he's likely to need another rehab start or two after next week's outing.

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.

Dezenzo sustained a sprained elbow while playing for Team Italy in the World Baseball Classic last month. The 25-year-old appeared in 34 games for the Astros last season, slashing .245/.321/.367 with two homers, 10 RBI, 17 runs scored, one stolen base and an 11:37 BB:K across 109 plate appearances.

Correa gave the Astros a 5-0 lead in the fifth inning after his single off Connelly Early brought Cam Smith home. It was the 10th multi-hit game of the season for Correa, five of which have come over his last 10 games. He has reached base safely in six straight games, going 9-for-24 (.375) with two home runs, three RBI and five runs scored over that span.

Walker was immediately removed from the ninth inning of Sunday's game after taking a 93 mph fastball to the head, which cracked his helmet. The good news for Walker is that he avoided serious injury and is on track to be available for Sunday's contest. He went 3-for-4 with a solo homer, an RBI single an additional run scored before his exit.

Weiss was ineffective in two starts after entering the Astros rotation, allowing a total of four runs on eight hits and eight walks over seven innings. Teng isn't fully stretched out to handle a typical starter's workload, so Weiss could be needed in long relief Tuesday. Weiss has collected a 6.50 ERA, 2.17 WHIP and 22:14 K:BB over 18 innings covering two starts and five relief outings this season.

Since giving up three earned runs in his season debut, Laweryson has allowed just one hit and zero walks while striking out six batters over five innings and recording the first save of his MLB career. Laweryson is one of five Twins relievers with a save this season, so there is still plenty of competition for high-leverage work in Minnesota's bullpen even with the 27-year-old temporarily out of the picture.

Sands gave up two earned runs in just two-thirds of an inning during his last appearance Tuesday, and he'll now have to wait at least a couple of weeks to redeem himself after coming away from his outing with a forearm injury. John Klein will come up from Triple-A St. Paul to take Sands' place in Minnesota's bullpen.

Acton made his last appearance April 25 when he allowed an earned run on two hits and struck out two in an inning of work against the Rays. In corresponding moves, the Twins selected the contract of Luis Garcia and designating Zak Kent for assignment to make room.

Abel is eligible for activation from the 15-day injured list Saturday, and while he is not expected to be ready to go by that date, his absence will not extend much longer if he continues to progress at his current pace. The right-hander has missed the last couple weeks of action with right elbow inflammation. Abel's spot in the rotation is currently being filled by Connor Prielipp, who will start Monday's game versus the Mariners.

Ryan was forced to depart Sunday's start against the Blue Jays after throwing just nine pitches due to right elbow soreness. However, he has managed to avoid a serious injury and is slated to throw a bullpen session Wednesday. Ryan is tentatively scheduled to start a game this weekend in Cleveland, and he should be cleared to take the ball against the Guardians if he gets through his bullpen session without a setback.

Staumont signed a minor-league deal with the Reds last offseason but wound up missing the entire season with an undisclosed injury. It's unclear what his current health status is. Staumont posted a 3.70 ERA but an ugly 18:14 K:BB over 24.1 innings for the Twins in 2024.