Following his exit from Monday night’s 7-2 loss to the Detroit Tigers due to lower back spasms, Houston Astros starting pitcher Bud Norris’ stock for the July trade deadline is now in question. Coming into Monday night’s contest, Norris had been sporting relatively good numbers for the struggling Houston club, holding onto a 4-3 record, 31/17 strikeout to walk ratio, and a respectable 3.40 ERA. Up until his ...

The Houston Astros pounded Seattle Mariners pitching with 22 hits in five home runs to earn their first road victory of the 2013 season 16-9 over the Mariners at Safeco Field. The Astros snapped a six-game losing streak in which they had scored a total of nine runs.  They nearly doubled their run total of 17 from the first seven games of the season.  It's the most runs and hits for the Astros since an 18-4 ...

Rick Ankiel hit a three run homer to back up the pitching of Bud Norris in the 2013  major-league opener in Houston and the Astros beat the Texas Rangers  8-2  In their American League debut. Norris pitched 5 2/3 innings scattering five hits and allowing two earned runs.He struck out five and walked two. Opening-day starter for Texas Matt Harrison pitched 5 2/3 innings allowing six runs, five earned, and st ...

Some teams don't like to admit that they're re-building. The New York Mets, for instance, dealt R.A. Dickey a month after he won the Cy Young award in exchange for prospects that likely won't make a difference for several years. Yet the term "re-building" will never leave the lips of the organization's owners or front office, as they either have a delusional take on reality, or a crippling fear of any publi ...

Last season, the Houston Astros lost 107 games and finished in the National League basement. This year, they will likely top 100 losses again, especially since they are making their American League West debut. Yet many patient Astros fans are excited, and with good reason. Since Jeff Luhnow joined the club as general manager last offseason, he has shed the roster of numerous veterans through trades that hav ...

The Miami Marlins have caught a lot of flack this offseason, and deservingly so. Just one off season after opening a new stadium mostly financed by taxpayers, the Marlins have trimmed nearly $80 million off of what was a nine digit payroll and is now down to around $30 million dollars on the active 25 man roster. Giancarlo Stanton appears to be the lone relevant man standing. But the Houston Astros have flo ...

Houston Astros General Manager Jeff Luhnow pulled the trigger on a trade that sent shortstop Jed Lowrie to Oakland along with reliever Fernando Rodriguez to acquire first baseman Chris Carter, right-handed starting pitcher Brad Peacock and catcher Max Stassi. Lowrie appeared in 97 games for the Astros in 2012 and hit .244 with 16 home runs and 42 RBI. Rodriguez was 2-10 in Houston last season in 71 appearan ...

Casual baseball fans snicker at the Houston Astros. Considering that they lost 107 games last year in the National League Central, and they are slated to make their American League West debut in 2013, that humor is understandable. Yet those people who follow minor league baseball recognize that Houston will not have a problem two to three years from now. Under first-year general manager Jeff Luhnow last sea ...

Clemens maybe returning to baseball in 2013 after all Roger Clemens is appearing on the Hall of Fame ballot for the very first time this year. Today we have news that the seven-time Cy Young winner may be ready to take on an active role with the Houston Astros. Clemens could join the Astros during spring training and possibly the regular season to help with a young Astros pitching staff. Clemens pitched thi ...

Veras appears to be  the favorite for the job heading into spring The Houston Astros are in complete rebuilding mode, as they should be. Since July 2010, the Astros have traded Roy Oswalt, Lance Berkman, Matt Lindstrom, Jeff Keppinger, Hunter Pence, Michael Bourn, Mark Melancon, Carlos Lee, J.A. Happ, Brandon Lyon, Brett Myers, Wandy Rodriguez, Chris Johnson, and Wilton Lopez. The hope is obviously to build ...

Houston will bring more  than new uniforms to the American League The Houston Astros continued retooling their roster in preparation for their move to the American League West. Today the Astros announced they have acquired right-handed pitcher John Ely from the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for minor league left-handed pitcher Rob Rasmussen. Although not likely to be considered big splash moves, the Astro ...

Pena will become the Astros first designated hitter The Houston Astros are moving to the American League West in 2013, and have reached agreement with Carlos Pena on a one-year deal worth $2.9 million. Houston announced it will “make an announcement” Monday during a 2 p.m. press conference at Minute Maid Park. Pena will serve as their first ever DH and share first base with Brett Wallace. Pena hit .197 last ...

Oakland needs to make some upgrades to duplicate their 94-68 Editor’s Note: This is the third column in a Baseball News Source division-by-division series that will address what teams might do this off-season. Here is a look at the American League West. After claiming back to-back American League West titles and American League pennants, the Texas Rangers appeared poised to capture another AL West crown whe ...

Porter will remain with the Nationals through this season The Houston Astros will name Washington Nationals third-base coach Bo Porter as their manager for next season, according to a FoxSports.com report. The Astros, the worst team in the majors at 51-105, fired manager Brad Mills on Aug. 18 and replaced him a day later with Tony DeFrancesco on an interim basis. Porter, 40, has served as the Nats' third ba ...