Houston battles a season of injuries as Alvarez contemplates time on the shelf after an ankle sprain. Cole, a double-A call-up, delivers immediately with a two-run homer off Leiter, underscoring Houston’s depth and their push toward the postseason.

Texas answers with timely hits, but the Astros’ spark from Cole and the steady mix in relief keeps Houston within striking distance in a tight AL West race. With Alvarez possibly out, lineup shuffles loom—Altuve may slide to DH, Cole could grab more outfield time, and every win matters over the final 11-12 games.

Fantasy managers watch closely: Alvarez’s status, Cole’s role, and Houston’s ability to weather injuries will dictate rostering and streaming moves as the Astros chase seeding and the Rangers attempt to hold serve down the stretch.

Texas Rangers fall 6-3 to Houston as Jack Leiter is pushed into a seventh inning after 102 pitches, amid a depleted bullpen that left Bochy chasing depth. Houston capitalizes with a two-run homer by Zach Cole and a Peña double, widening Texas’s wild-card margin. With Armstrong, Milner, Winn and Martin sidelined, the roster crunch and late-season schedule shape decisions as the Rangers’ postseason window narrows.

Leiter’s 3.82 ERA since the break and his insistence that execution—not workload—was the issue frame a critical tactical moment. The game underscored how injuries and back-to-back workloads can force riskier deployments in a race for a playoff spot, with fantasy implications hinging on bullpen health and upcoming matchups.

Houston staved off a pivotal moment by beating Texas 6-3 as Yordan Alvarez exited with a left ankle sprain, casting a cloud over a critical week. Rookie Zach Cole punctuated the night with a go-ahead homer, while Jeremy Peña delivered the decisive two-run hit and the bullpen weathered injuries and early miscues. The win trims Houston’s West race gap and keeps their season-series chance alive, setting up a high-stakes stretch run for fantasy rosters.

With Alvarez’s status uncertain, Altuve could move into a bigger role if he needs DH time, and Cole’s breakout adds a fresh spark to the lineup. The Astros’ resiliency—Peña’s timely hitting, Cole’s home run prowess, and defensive plays—provides a glimmer of upside for late-season fantasy and betting angles as the race tightens.

Texas Rangers enter their final 11 regular-season games with five regulars sidelined and a tight return window. Bochy is balancing urgency with a practical rehab timeline as Mahle, Semien, Seager, Coulombe and Haggerty chase time on the field. Mahle’s four scoreless rehab innings keep him in rotation talk, Semien and Seager progress toward returns, Coulombe nears activation, and Haggerty’s ankle issue lingers. A critical series with Houston intensifies the fantasy stakes as roster depth and late-season pivots shape the playoff push.