The Astros fell to the A's 6-2 on July 26, 2025, as Hunter Brown struggled. With 17 players on the IL, can Jeremy Peña's offense spark a turnaround?
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
Another day, another tough loss. The Houston Astros dropped their third consecutive game Saturday, a 6-2 decision to the Oakland A's that felt all too familiar. But this losing streak isn't just a slump; it's a symptom of a larger battle. With an astonishing 17 players having hit the injured list this season, the first-place Astros are fighting a war of attrition, and the clock is ticking towards a trade deadline that could define their championship hopes.
Houston's 17-player injured list is currently the largest in Major League Baseball, with seven starting pitchers and five Opening Day position players sidelined.
On the field at Daikin Park, it was a frustrating night. Starter Hunter Brown couldn't find his rhythm, lasting just 4.1 innings and getting tagged for five runs. The big blow came in the third, a three-run blast by A's rookie Nick Kurtz that put the game out of reach. The Astros' bats were mostly silent, mustering only six hits. A bright spot, however, was Jeremy Peña, who drove in both of Houston's runs with a fifth-inning double. His postgame message on Instagram echoed the team's mindset: 'Tough one tonight, but we keep fighting.'
The front office is already trying to patch the holes. Before Saturday's game, struggling reliever Nick Hernandez was optioned to Triple-A Sugar Land, with Luis Contreras recalled to bring a fresh arm to a taxed bullpen. This is just the latest move in a season defined by them. The injury list is a who's who of stars: Yordan Alvarez, Cristian Javier, Lance McCullers Jr., and now third baseman Isaac Paredes, whose recent hamstring strain could potentially end his season. The sheer volume of injuries has forced the team to rely on depth pieces like Jason Alexander, called up this week from Sugar Land, just to get through games.
Despite the adversity, the Astros remarkably still sit atop the AL West with a 60-45 record. But everyone knows this isn't sustainable. This team is surviving, not thriving. The mounting injuries and the current losing skid have turned the upcoming July 31 trade deadline from a 'want' to a 'need.' The Astros aren't just expected to be buyers; they have to be. Whether it's a front-line starter, a high-leverage reliever, or another bat to replace the production lost from Paredes, reinforcements are critical if this team wants to make a serious run in October.
The immediate goal is to salvage the series finale against Oakland and snap this losing streak. But the bigger story unfolds off the field. With just a few days left until the deadline, the next moves made by the front office will be the most important of the season. The Astros have shown incredible resilience to lead the division through this storm, but now they need help. The cavalry is coming—it has to.
