Minnesota @ Houston preview
Daikin Park
Last Meeting ( Apr 6, 2025 ) Houston 9, Minnesota 7
Houston Astros third baseman Isaac Paredes has provided a steady hand both at the plate and in the field this season, which made the sight of him limping off the field in the seventh inning on Thursday especially concerning.
Paredes clubbed his team-leading 15th home run in the fifth inning of the Astros' 4-3 home win over the Chicago White Sox, but he later departed with a left hamstring injury after he limped through first base while running out a double-play grounder.
Astros manager Joe Espada said Paredes would be evaluated on Friday before Houston opens a three-game series against the Minnesota Twins. The Astros expect to know more about Paredes' status at that time.
"His approach, he's a pro at-bat," Espada said. "That was a big homer there. That was the winning run. Defensively, he's just been a force on our team."
Rookie left-hander Colton Gordon (1-1, 5.11 ERA) gets the starting assignment for the Astros. He notched his first victory on June 6 against the Cleveland Guardians, yielding one run on seven hits with five strikeouts over five innings in a 4-2 road win.
The contest marked the first time in his five starts that Gordon surrendered fewer than three earned runs, and he did not issue a walk for the third time. He is set to face the Twins for the first time.
Right-hander Chris Paddack (2-5, 3.53 ERA) is scheduled to start for Minnesota. He did not factor into the decision of a 5-4 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday, allowing two runs on four hits and two walks with two strikeouts over six innings. In seven road starts this season, Paddack is 1-2 with a 3.96 ERA.
Paddack has not recorded a decision while posting a 5.40 ERA in two career starts against the Astros. He allowed four runs (three earned) on seven hits and two walks with two strikeouts over four-plus innings in the Twins' 9-7, 10-inning home loss to the Astros on April 6.
Minnesota center fielder Byron Buxton finished 0-for-2 with a walk and a run in the Twins' 16-3 loss to the Texas Rangers on Thursday. It was the 10th game in which he reached base in 11 appearances since he was reinstated from the concussion injured list on May 30.
Buxton missed 11 games with a concussion but did not surrender the momentum from his strong start. He is batting .333 with a home run and 14 RBIs since his return, with his 479-foot blast to straightaway center field on Wednesday the highlight of the Twins' lone win in the three-game home series against Texas.
If there were any concerns over how long Buxton would need to regain his top form, those have been answered.
"I haven't noticed anything but him playing great baseball since he's been back," Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. "Getting your timing back at the plate, finding yourself in the outfield and your sense of space, there's a lot of things that will go into returning from something like that. But he doesn't seem too concerned.
"I think he's playing really, really good on both sides of the ball right now. And on the bases, too."
--Field Level Media