Bryan Abreu's absence will have Astros fans asking questions about Houston's next steps

Something still isn't quite right here.

Eric Cole

May 19, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Houston Astros pitcher Bryan Abreu (52) looks on after a wild pitch in the ninth inning against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images / Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

It is really hard to figure out what to make of Houston Astros reliever Bryan Abreu right now. Through the end of April, Abreu was so bad that it was fair to wonder if Houston was going to have to bench him or put him on the IL just so he wouldn't blow games anymore. However, the month of May has been an entirely different story. Not only has Abreu not given up an earned run this month, but now Houston has all but stopped using him basically at all.

A quick look at Abreu's usage and performance this month is interesting. Abreu is still walking more guys than you would want, and he HAS hit three batters in nine appearances, which doesn't inspire confidence that he has fixed his command issues. Still, it has been a marked improvement over what we had seen out of Abreu.

The bigger issue, though, is that Abreu pitched for the first time in a week on Thursday, and that raises questions as to what exactly is going on with him and what it could mean for the Astros going forward.

The Astros are clearly staying away from Bryan Abreu when possible, but WHY is an open question

As much as Abreu struggled early on in 2026, it is entirely possible that Houston is being aggressive in limiting his usage to keep him fresh. It wouldn't be all that shocking if Abreu's early-season conditioning wasn't up to speed, and the Astros simply want to be extra proactive in managing his innings.

However, with the massive spike in Abreu's walk rate, along with his decreasing workload, one cannot help but wonder whether he has some sort of injury. That would certainly help explain his volatile performance this season and the steadily decreased workload. We don't know that is the case here, but it is absolutely a possibility and one that could necessitate an actual IL stint, especially after Josh Hader returns.

Perhaps Abreu's outing against the Rangers on Thursday provides clues. Abreu's fastball averaged north of 97 MPH in 2025, but that has dipped to 94.9 MPH this season. After getting a week off to rest and recuperate, Abreu was still only sitting 93-95 MPH with his heater in his one inning of work. Whether it is health, mechanics, and/or something else entirely, something is clearly up with Abreu, and it is forcing Houston to stay away from him when they can.

Eric Cole

I started my career writing about baseball covering the Atlanta Braves for SB Nation's Talking Chop back in 2015 which has since been renamed Battery Power. After years of writing for those fine folks, I made the decision to take over as Site Expert at House That Hank Built before becoming a full-time MLB Staff Writer for FanSided in 2023. Along the way, I have been a guest on multiple ESPN radio affiliates as well as 680 The Fan and 92.9 The Game to discuss Braves baseball and especially Braves prospects and was a long-time host on the Battery Power podcast. These days, I continue to write about the Braves as well as covering the Astros, Padres, and Angels with particular expertise with minor league coverage, the MLB Draft, and bashing Anthony Rendon when possible. When I am not writing about or talking about baseball (which is seldom), I am an avid baseball card collector (Maddux and Soroka being my primary personal collections) and I also collect shark teeth. All other sports are mostly dead to me as my Bills have broken my heart too many times.