Disastrous sequence against Rockies threatens Astros' 2026 motto of staying healthy

The Houston Astros' biggest scapegoat for their failure to reach the playoffs in 2025 wasn't manager Joe Espada or general manager Dana Brown. It wasn't a player who was acrimoniously shipped out either. It was the injury bug.

Carlos Correa was among the chorus of figures within the franchise, setting the tone that better health was 2026's primary goal upon the Astros' elimination last September.

“We have a great team when we’re healthy. On paper, we’re the team to beat. That’s how I feel going into next year. We’ve got to get our guys healthy. We’ve got to get Pena, Paredes, Yordan healthy and when you put our lineup together on paper going into next year it looks very interesting," Correa said.

The Astros were playing their 13th game of the season, and the successful execution of their primary objective is very much in question. The bullpen has been a disaster as they await the return of Josh Hader from his spring training injury. Hunter Brown's shoulder strain could prove to be a devastating blow.

Now, in the series finale against the lowly Colorado Rockies, Houston was on the verge of getting swept and could see their IL contingent grow following a pair of scares. First, Cristian Javier was removed from the game after just one inning of work with an apparent injury. Then, Jake Meyers was pulled during his second-inning plate appearance with the count at 2-2, bringing about even more concern.

Astros' injury scares with Cristian Javier and Jake Meyers could add to the growing IL contingent

We're awaiting more information and further tests on both Javier and Meyers, but the fact that both were yanked out of the game so early doesn't bode well.These developments have to be frustrating for the Astros, who fired head athletic trainer Jeremiah Randall as one of their first offseason moves. The move was not unwarranted.

Houston botched Yordan Alvarez's hand injury last year and surely cost him more IL time than what would have been necessary if they had uncovered the fracture earlier. They also botched Meyers' return-to-play process, costing the center fielder more time on the shelf.

If these two incidents turn out to be serious, it will start to feel like Deja vu all over again, and will bring into question whether or not anything will actually be improved on the medical and training staff front this year.

If either of these potential injuries results in a long-term absence, it could put the Astros in a dire situation. The pitching has been a mess, and while Javier hasn't been good over his first few starts, losing him and preventing him from getting into a groove could cause the rotation to further implode. As for Meyers, a prolonged absence from him would further expose the inexperience in the Houston outfield, with natural shortstop Brice Matthews likely being the one to step up and pick up most of his slack.

We'll keep our eyes peeled for updates, and our fingers crossed that neither player is actually seriously hurt, but as it looks now, alarm bells should be ringing loudly, and confidence in the new-look training staff should be plummeting.