The Houston Astros have had a good start to the season with a 5-2 record and are looking like a team that wants to get back into postseason contention. But it looks like the baseball gods have different plans for them as they will be without their $9.35 million player.

The Astros X handle reported that Isaac Paredes will be missing a few games. They wrote, “We have placed IF Isaac Paredes on the bereavement list.”

The Houston Astros have placed Isaac Paredes on the bereavement list. The move requires at least three days away and allows up to seven days maximum.

This means that he is going to miss the weekend series against the Oakland Athletics. And he has been replaced by Shay Whitcomb.

Isaac Paredes will not be missed too much when looked at from an Astros offense point of view. He had just 5 hits, having played 6 games. He has started games at 3rd, 2nd, and as a DH, showing his versatility. This is what the Astros will actually miss. And without Paredes, they have lost a lot of flexibility.

To cover for him, the Astros recalled Shay Whitcomb from Triple-A Sugar Land. Whitcomb has had a brilliant start to his minor league season, going 8-26 with 2 homers. Those numbers translate to a .308 average and a .577 slugging percentage. But he brings more than just his bat.

He brings the same defensive flexibility that Paredes had and can be used in all 4 infield spots and in the outfield corners. That versatility showed last season, with over twenty games each at second, third, and left.

But his major league numbers raise major concerns. In the 20 games that he played last season for the Astros, he had a batting average of .128. And his overall MLB average is at just .178. His on-base sits at .231, with a .260 slugging, showing that he has had a very low impact.

Strikeout also remains a major concern as he has struck out 18 times in 73 at-bats in his MLB career.

Yet this short window offers a real test, especially during a three-game road series. If he produces now, even small moments could push him closer to a longer stay.

This is just an added problem to the existing list for the Astros

The Houston Astros have a major problem with Lance McCullers Jr. and Cristian Javier.

Lance McCullers Jr. had serious doubts around him before the season because he missed two full years with injuries. He also had an ERA of 6.51 in 55.1 innings in 2025 with multiple moves to the IL. But his 2026 start has been good. He threw seven innings with nine strikeouts and allowed just 1 run against the Red Sox in their 8-1 win.

Although it is a short sample for the season, things have started off well, and the Astros will hope to get better. But the contract is Cristian Javier.

Cristian Javier’s early showing has been rocky. He has an ERA of 11.57, and this is the result of the 6 runs allowed in 4.2 innings against just the Angels. He issued four walks and gave up two home runs in that outing.

That performance stands in sharp contrast to Javier’s solid spring numbers and prior years, where he had an ERA of 3.89 in 2024 and earned just 15 runs in 2025.

As a result, the Astros face real decisions about their rotation depth and reliability early in the season. Because the expectation for the team and its players is high, but the patience is not. With Spencer Arrighetti nearing readiness and talk of expanding to six starters, Houston’s staff flexibility could help cover gaps.