4 Astros who'll make the 2026 Opening Day roster but are already on thin ice

The Houston Astros just arrived in Florida for spring training, and fans are trying to sort out who'll be part of the team's Opening Day roster and who'll be shown the door. Whether it's a prospect that's not quite ready for The Show, or a savvy veteran who's finally run out of gas, not everyone who's invited to spring training will make the team.

Even then, a spot on the Astros Opening Day roster is no guarantee you're going to last the entire season. Sure, Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, and Hunter Brown are all but assured to remain on the roster throughout the 2026 campaign, but the same cannot be said for a handful of other players.

There's at least four Astros players who'll probably break camp with the big league club, but soon fall out of favor. Who's ticketed for an early-exit this season?

4 Astros who'll make the 2026 Opening Day roster but are already on thin ice

Jesús Sanchez, Astros outfielder

Jesús Sanchez was walking on thin ice throughout the entire offseason, but somehow he made it to West Palm Beach, Florida. The Astros acquired Sanchez at the July trade deadline last season, but his numbers fell off a cliff after arriving in Houston.

Unfortunately, Houston has done little to address the elephant in the room — the lack of left-handed hitters on the roster — and Sanchez stands to benefit from that. But if the start of his 2026 season is anything like the end of his 2025 campaign, Sanchez might not make it past April 30.

Cesar Salazar, Astros catcher

At the moment, the Astros have just one healthy catcher on the 40-man roster, and his name is Cesar Salazar. Yainer Diaz suffered an injury while playing Winter Ball back in December, and is said to be behind the others in camp.

While the Astros have a bevy of other catchers on site, Salazar is the only one aside from Carlos Perez who has any Major League experience. If the Astros fail to add another backstop between now and Opening Day, Salazar is a shoo-in to be on the 26-man roster. But unless he takes a massive step forward in 2026, he won't last very long.

Enyel De Los Santos, Astros pitcher

At the moment, Astros reliever Enyel De Los Santos is battling a knee injury. If he recovers in time, however, De Los Santos is expected to be in the mix for one of the final spots in the Astros bullpen.

But the Astros plan to use a six-man rotation at the outset, which means they'll be relying heavily on their bullpen. As such, it wouldn't be surprising to see Houston's front office yo-yo a few relievers back and forth between Triple-A Sugar Land and the big leagues. De Los Santos is out of minor-league options, meaning if he stumbles out of the gate, the Astros would have to designate him for assignment.

Lance McCullers Jr., Astros pitcher

There are some who'd prefer to see the Astros cut bait now and just release Lance McCullers Jr. before the start of the 2026 season. He's battled injuries for the better part of his career, but the Astros have 17 million reasons to run it back one last time. McCullers is in the final year of the five-year contract extension he signed in 2021, and still owed a handsome sum of money.

It's easy from a far to lobby for Jim Crane to just cut his losses, but he's the one spending his money, not the fans. Crane isn't that stubborn, however. At this point, McCullers' contract is a sunken cost and it won't bleed over into 2027. If he's unable to be effective or stay healthy, it's doubtful Astros fans will see McCullers last the season.