The Houston Astros have endured a wave of injuries to sit atop the American League West Division to begin July. With a 6.5-game lead over the Seattle Mariners, the Astros have a 96.8% chance to make the playoffs, according to FanGraphs, and will spend the weeks ahead of the trade deadline looking for ways to upgrade the roster.
One of the areas Houston is looking to upgrade is the outfield. With the Jose Altuve experiment in left field failing and Yordan Alvarez out indefinitely with a hand injury, the Astros would like to add reinforcements at the trade deadline. They could also swap outfield assets to shake things up before the end of July, giving one player who has fallen out of favor a new start soon.
Astros OF Chas McCormick Could Be Running out of Time in Houston
Astros outfielder Chas McCormick is one of several players on the injured list. But while he’s begun a rehab assignment at Triple-A Sugar Land, he may not have a spot on the roster when he’s ready to return.
McCormick has been a mainstay with the Astros since his debut in 2021, hitting .250/.325/.418 with 55 homers and 193 RBI over five seasons. Having said that, his stock has dropped considerably due to his performance over the past two seasons. McCormick struggled through a hand injury in 2024, and his production dropped to .211/.271/.306 with five homers and 27 RBIs over 94 games.
The Kyle Tucker trade was supposed to open another opportunity for McCormick, even as Altuve joined the outfield at the beginning of the year. The returns were modest, though, with the former hitting .256/.347/.302 with no homers and two RBI over 36 games. While McCormick has battled through a pair of oblique injuries, he’s been overshadowed by Jacob Melton, Jake Meyers, and AL Rookie of the Year contender Cam Smith.
Failing to turn things around soon could land McCormick on the trading block in the next few weeks. While he’s still under team control through next season, he could be an intriguing piece to throw in a deal and perhaps come away with a player that could help the Astros in their playoff push.