On Roberto Clemente Day, the Houston Astros wore No. 21 in their series opener vs. the Texas Rangers, a tribute intertwining Clemente’s Puerto Rican legacy with nine Astros: Jose Altuve, Yordan Alvarez, Mauricio Dubón, Yainer Diaz, Jeremy Peña, Carlos Correa, Victor Caratini, plus manager Joe Espada and hitting coach Alex Cintrón. Closer Josh Hader, IL-bound, is the Clemente Award nominee for the team. All players wore 21 patches; Espada wore Clemente silhouette tees and spoke on Clemente’s off-field impact and Latin community progress.

Yordan Álvarez left ankle sprain after scoring a run in the first inning against Texas, forcing him from the game and potentially altering Houston’s postseason math. Since his Aug. 26 return from a right hand fracture, Álvarez has produced a scorching .369/.455/.569 line across 18 games, making his health a linchpin for the Astros’ lineup. Houston now heads into a pivotal three-game set against Texas and Seattle, with every at-bat and rotation shift carrying extra fantasy weight.

Two weeks remain and the Rangers’ playoff math is razor-thin. Division odds hover near 2.6%, with Seattle holding the tiebreaker and Houston looming. To win the West, Texas must take two of three in Houston, then hope Seattle falters while Cleveland or Detroit stay steady. A Houston series win, plus a Miami sweep and Seattle setback could trigger a three‑way tie Texas would own on head‑to‑head, setting up a final-week wild-card chase in Seattle.

Corey Seager is the Texas Rangers’ Roberto Clemente Award nominee, spotlighting a season of remarkable off-field impact. He and his wife have raised over $130,000 for the Rangers Baseball Foundation via Uncorked for a Cause, while Seager has led Back-to-School shopping sprees, Seager Squad hitting clinics, and a park renovation that funded the Corey Seager Batting Cages. His efforts also included flood-relief support and fostering drives. Voting runs through Sept. 28 via MLBTogether and a blue-ribbon panel.