Astros News: Houston's Opening Day starter, lineup tweaks, Jose Altuve’s improvement

The start of the 2025 regular season is less than two weeks away and many of the roster questions the Houston Astros have come into focus. The Astros have yet to firmly commit to a plan for the outfield and there are still a few bullpen slots that appear to be up in the air.

However, after a series of roster cuts and statements from team officials, it seems like Houston is whittling down these impending roster decisions. The Astros have officially named their Opening Day starter, and it won't come as a shock to anyone.

Astros News: Framber Valdez named Opening Day starter vs. NY Mets

Framber Valdez has been the Astros Openig Day starter for three years running. Valdez will run that streak to four after being tabbed as Houston's starter for the Astros first game of the season against the New York Mets

Valdez has a history of pitching extremely well on Opening Day, and is coming off yet another top 10 Cy Young finish in 2024. Giving him the nod is a great way to get the 2025 season started.

Astros News: Isaac Paredes may be hitting ahead of Yordan Alvarez

As good as Jose Altuve is, there is no denying that he takes an aggressive approach at the plate. While he is insanely productive, that aggression does quicken the pace that those hitting behind him must employ when getting ready to take their own cuts. With Yordan Alvarez generally preferring to have a little more time in the on-deck circle, the Astros are entertaining a novel lineup solution.

According to manager Joe Espada, it appears as though hitting newcomer Isaac Paredes in front of Alvarez in the Astros' lineup is on the table. Given that Paredes typically sees a lot of pitches in every at-bat and draws his fair share of walks, this alignment could help Alvarez's timing and get more runners on base ahead of Houston's RBI leader.

Astros News: Jose Altuve shows signs of improvement in the outfield

After a pretty embarrassing gaffe at the left field wall last week, some were questioning Houston's decision to move him to the outfield. However, it sounds like the team is pleased overall with Altuve's progress transitioning to the new position.

Despite the error, Altuve has generally been reading the ball well off the bat and that play is really the only one that has stood out as a negative thus far in camp. The Astros aren't going to commit to making any decision just yet, but the odds continue to be very good that Altuve in left is going to be a common sight in 2025.

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