Astros: Fans, it’s officially time to bring out the panic button

The DL’s recent victims

With Carlos Correa back from the disabled list in hopes to provide offensive relief he’s hit 2-for-18 in his five games fresh off the DL. The tale of the tape is long and despairingly sad. Jose Altuve (right knee) isn’t even making this long west coast road trip, and unsure if he will return before September. Chris Devenski arrived on the ten-day DL with a hamstring injury. Jake Marisnick (groin), also on the ten-day DL since the August 11^th. Brian McCann (right knee), Lance McCullers (forearm) and George Springer (thumb) all have made themselves comfortable with hopes of returning sometime this month. You can find the full injury report here.

As the Astros slip and the division lead shrinks, it’s not guaranteed if and when these guys return that the production will come immediately. They will still need rehab and time to adjust. Correa is a prime example of that lag. 2 for 18 in five games isn’t exactly providing immediate offensive support.

Put out an A.B.P. on the offense.

Since that 14-0 shutout against the Dodgers on August 4^th, the Astros have scored just 33 runs and allowed 31 in nine games. They are 3-6 in that span. Four of those games were one-run affairs and they went 1-3. In fact, the Astros are 16-21 in games decided by one run. When they score, they score. When the floodgates open like they did last night, they are 28-6 in blowouts. This last week has been the lowest offensive output in a seven-game stretch all season. That’s expected when the bulk of the best hitters are on the DL.

When Jake Marisnick is your best hitter, something isn’t going right. Landing on my Trending Up list last week then finding himself on the disabled list this week, Jake and his .421 batting average in his last eight games has now been out of the lineup since August 11^th.