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Time may finally be running out for Joe Espada to save his Astros' job

The end might be near.
ByJordan Campbell|
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May 6, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros manager Joe Espada (19) talks to the media in the dugout prior to the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images
May 6, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros manager Joe Espada (19) talks to the media in the dugout prior to the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images | Erik Williams-Imagn Images

As the Houston Astros stumbled out of the gate to start the 2026 season, the hope was that the team would hit enough to stay in contention while the pitching staff got healthy. That scenario was likely the only one that was going to save Joe Espada's job. Hunter Brown is making progress in his recovery, but the Astros bats have suddenly gone silent.

After scoring 10 runs in a shutout victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Friday, the Astros scored one run across a pair of losses between Saturday and Sunday. In fact, over their last 11 games before, the Astros have only scored more than three runs in a game twice.

Astros’ offensive slump could accelerate timeline on Joe Espada decision

The Astros' offense isn't the wagon that it was to start the season. Carlos Correa is out for the remainder of the 2026 season, Jose Altuve has a wRC+ of 43 since April 13, and Cam Smith's wRC+ is at 36 during the same time period.

It's hard to imagine the Astros' pitching staff is going to get much better this season. A healthy Brown can certainly make a difference, but the Astros still don't know what they have in Tatsuya Imai and Mike Burrows. Factor in the unsettled bullpen parts, and it's clear that if Houston is going to find success this season, it's going to be due to their bats.

Now that the bats have gone cold, the Astros are quickly approaching decision time for Joe Espada. With each loss, it feels like the Astros are getting closer and closer to moving on from EspadaNow. It's hard to imagine Dana Brown will be fired this close to the draft, leaving Espada as the fall guy for the problems that date back to last season.

The next two series, in particular, could be when a decision is made. The Astros' next seven games are against division rivals, with a four-game set against the Seattle Mariners and a weekend series against the Texas Rangers. The Astros have a clear opportunity to make up ground over the next week, and failure to do so will likely result in Espada losing his job.

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