The Houston Astros, with a 61-60 record, are clinging on to first place in the AL West with a 0.5-game lead over the Texas Rangers.
After the Astros lost to the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday, there will be a rubber match on Wednesday afternoon between Houston and San Francisco. Luckily for the Stros, the Rangers also lost on Tuesday, so their slight lead in the division holds.
During the Giants series, the Astros made a notable lineup decision before the finale.
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Christian Walker Not in Lineup for Wednesday’s Game
GettySAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – AUGUST 07: Christian Walker #8 of the Houston Astros celebrates after hitting a two-RBI single during the third inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on August 07, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images)
The Houston Astros are rolling out a lineup on Wednesday that features a few different changes.
Notably, first baseman Christian Walker and Jose Altuve are both missing from the Astros ‘ lineup, which is certainly a hit to the team’s offensive ability. Lamonte Wade Jr. takes over at first for Walker, and Nick Allen is playing 2B in place of Altuve.
Here is the full batting order for the Astros on 8/12, per @UnderdogMLB:
Astros 8/12: “J. Peña SS Y. Alvarez DH I. Paredes 3B D. Varsho CF L. Wade Jr. 1B C. Smith RF T. Trammell LF N. Allen 2B C. Vázquez C B. King SP”
It’s likely just a scheduled day off for Christian Walker, who is pretty much in the Astros lineup every single day.
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Inside Christian Walker’s 2026 Season Thus Far
GettyHOUSTON, TEXAS – JULY 31: Christian Walker #8 of the Houston Astros reacts after a solo home run during the fifth inning against the Texas Rangers at Daikin Park on July 31, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images)
Christian Walker is in his second full season with the Houston Astros.
He’s played in 117 games this season and has been very productive. Wednesday might actually be the first time in 2026 that Walker is getting an off day.
Across those 117 games, Walker has 22 home runs, 67 RBI, 24 doubles, a .236 average, and an OPS+ of 115, which is well above league average.
Walker has cut down his strikeouts this season, which is likely why his OPS+ is up so many points from last season.
Down the stretch of the season, Walker will be a crucial piece of the Astros lineup, and after this off day, he’s likely gearing up to play every game of the remaining portion of the season.
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