Meyers was scratched with right calf soreness ahead of the Astros' series opener with the Angels. He recently returned from a right calf strain and had started 15 of 16 since his return on Sept. 6. Zach Cole shifted to center, Cam Smith was added in right, and Joe Espada downplayed the issue, calling Meyers 'fine' before first pitch. The move tightens Houston's outfield depth and could push Cole into more center-field action, a potential fantasy pivot if Meyers misses time.

Houston's playoff push hit a snag as the Astros were limited to three hits in a 5-1 loss to Oakland, with Peña and Alvarez sidelined by injuries. Javier faltered, while Springs and the A's bullpen kept Houston at bay. The loss drops Houston two games behind Detroit and Cleveland for the final AL wild-card, with Boston holding the tiebreaker and Seattle having clinched the postseason. Time running out, the Astros must wake up and turn five games into a surge.

Houston’s late-season fade deepens as a 5-1 loss to Oakland underscored why the Astros’ playoff hopes feel fragile. Cristian Javier’s rough start and a first-inning A’s burst set a sour tone, while Cam Smith’s second-inning sac fly provided Houston’s lone spark. With Seattle, Detroit, Boston and Cleveland winning, Houston slides further in the wild-card race and must navigate a tightening path to the postseason amid a growing lineup and rotation churn.

Rangers fall 6-5 in Houston, stretching their wild-card odds as they sit four games back with 10 to play and seven needed to clinch the elimination number. Houston would seal the head-to-head tiebreaker with a sweep and clinch the Silver Boot if they finish the job. Texas showed grit with a late four-run, two-out surge—capped by Cody Freeman’s two-strike homer and a pair of late RBI hits from Jonah Heim and Adolis García—but failed to convert on baserunning chances and left Jake Burger to absorb a tough line. Bochy stressed must-win games as deGrom takes the mound in the series finale, a key moment in a season that keeps flirting with hope despite grim odds.