For the Astros, recent seasons have often been defined by the untimely injuries that have tested their depth and resilience. For instance, in 2020, the loss of ace Justin Verlander and slugger Yordan Alvarez cast a long shadow over their postseason ambitions. Then, in 2023, the injury setbacks to Luis Garcia and Jose Urquidy again hampered their push past the ALCS. Now in 2025, with a commanding 56-41 record and sitting atop the AL West, they seem poised for another deep October run. But as the second half of the season kicks into gear, the familiar clouds of concern are gathering again.

Spencer Arrighetti and Luis Garcia are already on the shelf, and now, just as the stretch begins, Houston faces the potential loss of yet another elite performer. It’s a gut punch at the worst possible moment, threatening to derail what looked like a championship-caliber campaign. With this news, some of the Astros fans are giving up on the season already.

“Horrible news for the Astros. Isaac Paredes began limping as he ran down the 1B line after hitting a single,” MLB insider Brian McTaggart wrote on X.

Yes, the current HR leader from the Astros clubhouse, Isaac Paredes, was not in a great shape after Saturday night’s game against the Mariners. He had to leave after what looked like a right leg injury while running to first base. And that’s surely not great news for a team already dealing with a bunch of injuries.

In the third inning, Paredes hit a line drive off the left-field wall and took just a few steps toward first before stumbling and limping the rest of the way. The trainer and manager, Joe Espada, came out to check on him. After a quick chat, they decided to pull him from the game.

While he departed from the field on his own, Paredes’ body language was not very encouraging. After losing out on Pena, Isaac Paredes had stepped up as the leadoff hitter for the Astros and was thriving in the role, putting up a .924 OPS over his first 16 games at the top of the lineup. So, losing him now would be another major setback for the Astros.

Fans are left heartbroken by the Astros’ injury streak

“It cannot get worse,” wrote a fan. Well, spot on! It can’t get any worse than losing the best hitters just when the second half of the season kicks in. Mariners are just behind the Astros with 52 wins. And with every loss from here on, it is getting riskier for Houston. When the clubhouse leaders in batting average and home runs are sidelined, fans will naturally be skeptical about how to keep the scoreboard active. It’s a long injury list with Jake Meyers, Jacob Melton, and Jeremy Pena and now Paredes might be on it as well now. What could be worse than this?

Yes, the Astros are seeing a sudden surge in injuries, but comments like “Team is made of glass” are still a bit harsh because other teams like the Yankees (11 players on IL) and Mets (9 players on IL) are also dealing with multiple injuries. In fact, the Astros were not ranked among the top 8 teams with the most injuries till the last month.

And hey, the Astros are not just struggling with the injuries, they are struggling with form, too. “This season is just getting worse by the minute!!!” read a comment. In their last 10 games, the Astros won 4, and the major blame goes to their pitchers. For instance, Hunter Brown incurred a season-high six runs in the second game against the Guardians.

With injuries and decline in form, things are surely getting worse with time for the Astros. “At this rate, we’ll be calling up the guys we just drafted,“ wrote one more worried fan. Now, that was sarcasm at its very best. In the 2025 MLB Draft, the Astros made a notable move with their first-round pick at No. 21, selecting Xavier Neyens, a left-handed hitting shortstop/third baseman from Mount Vernon High School in Washington. They continued to bolster their farm system in the later rounds as well, selecting outfielder Ethan Frey from LSU in the third round and infielder Nick Monistere from Southern Mississippi in the fourth. What the fan meant there was the team might have to promote these promising young players directly to the majors. Funny, eh?

Despite the long list of injuries, isn’t it too early to conclude on the Astros? One fan commented, “And with that, the 2025 season is over. Goodnight.” Agree or not?

Remember the Astros still got Jose Altuve, leading the roster with 52 RBIs. There’s Cam Smith as well, hitting .274. So, it’s not that the team has no one else to lead the charge, but with the hitting leaders are sidelined, it’s going to be tough for sure. The biggest challenge for the Astros’ coaching staff starts now. All eyes will be on them as they navigate through the league after losing the top names.