ANAHEIM -- The horrors of the first month of the season, which were underscored by a series of devastating injuries, are long gone. There are no more questions about whether the Astros are good enough to get back into the American League West race or if they should be buyers at the Trade Deadline.
Yes, and yes.
No team in the AL West has stepped up through the first four months of the season to take control of the division, but the Astros believe they’re up for the job. It wouldn’t be smart to doubt them. A Houston team that has made a habit of overcoming slow starts in recent years is at it again in 2026, clawing its way back from the depths to reach .500 while clipping at the heels of the first-place Rangers.
The Astros got home runs from Yainer Diaz and Jeremy Peña, and Hayden Wesneski picked up the win in his return from Tommy John surgery in a 7-4 come-from-behind victory over the Angels on Wednesday night, sweeping the series at Angel Stadium.
“Amazing,” second baseman Jose Altuve said. “We’re playing really good. The boys are pitching good, playing defense, hitting good. It seems like everything is clicking. Back to .500, close to first place. We still have a big series to play and good teams to play, but we are going to go out there and make every play possible and try to win some games.”
The Astros (55-55) reached the .500 mark for the first time since they were 6-6 entering play on April 8. As of May 21, only the Angels (17-33) and Rockies (19-31) had a worse record than the Astros, who were a season-worst 11 games under .500 (20-31). They are 35-24 since.
“We are where we want to be, but we have work to do,” said manager Joe Espada, whose team has a winning record on the road (29-28) after starting 1-9 away from home. “It’s not time to be complacent. We’ve got to keep going.”
The Astros will carry that momentum into a huge series this weekend at Daikin Park against the first-place Rangers, beginning Friday. This is the final meeting of the season between the Lone Star State rivals, and the Astros need one win to clinch the season series -- which could loom large in two months.
Since getting swept by the Orioles out of the All-Star break and getting challenged by Peña to make a run ahead of Monday’s Trade Deadline, Houston is 8-1.
“We’re going to get on that flight back and celebrate this road trip,” Espada said. “We’ve been fighting, working very hard to get here, but it’s not the time to get complacent. We have a lot of work ahead of us. We have a big series at home, but we’re excited about where we’re at right now. We are playing as a team.”
Wesneski, pitching in a Major League game for the first time since May 6, 2025, endured a rough first inning in which the Angels scored three times on four hits. Diaz (second inning) and Peña (third) hit solo homers, and the Astros took the lead with three runs in the sixth, highlighted by a two-run double from Cam Smith to break an 0-for-13 drought. It was his first hit since his two-run, go-ahead homer Friday in Chicago.
“He had two hits on this road trip, but both of them were big,” Espada said. “That matters.”
Wesneski fell one out shy of a quality start, allowing three runs and seven hits in 5 2/3 innings, striking out four and walking two. He threw 52 of 79 pitches for strikes. He’s the 15th starting pitcher used by the Astros this year, which is the most in baseball.
“He settled in after that first inning,” Espada said. “He threw the ball extremely well. He used his sinker and sweeper and started getting quick outs. Just happy to have him back. Just know what he can do when he’s healthy. After that first inning, he got rid of that rust and he dialed it in.”
The return of Wesneski and Ronel Blanco from Tommy John surgery in late July are two huge additions for a surging Astros team that will be looking to make more additions via trade in the coming days.
“Being .500 is always a good thing, and we’re trying to build on it going into the Trade Deadline and postseason,” Wesneski said.