The Houston Astros are tied with the Seattle Mariners as the two teams atop the American League West face off in a matchup that could decide who wins the division, and potentially, earn a first-round bye.
It's a massive series, with significant playoff implications. The loser of the series will be on the outside looking in and have a much tougher path in the playoffs this October. Fortunately for the Astros, it's held in Houston, giving them home-field advantage.
But that's not all that the Astros are benefiting from for this series. The Astros, according to Chandler Rome of The Athletic, are getting their All-Star third baseman back for the most pivotal series of the year.
Astros expected to activate Isaac Paredes from the injured list
"The Astros plan to activate Isaac Paredes off the injured list prior to tonight's game against the Mariners, sources tell The Athletic," Rome reported.
The Astros plan to activate Isaac Paredes off the injured list prior to tonight's game against the Mariners, source tells @TheAthletic. Paredes has been out since July 19 after suffering a severe right hamstring strain. First: @brianmctaggart
— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) September 19, 2025
IT's a big deal for the Astros, as Paredes has been out since July 19th, shortly after the All-Star break, as he's dealt with a severe hamstring strain.
But now, exactly two months since he last played, the Astros' third baseman is expected to return to the lineup for a pivotal series against the Mariners.
This is incredible news, especially since the team is dealing with the injury to Yordan Alvarez, which is also a serious issue, and is expected to keep him out for the rest of the regular season.
Now, Paredes returns to the lineup, and he'll likely take over at designated hitter with Jose Altuve either playing second base or left field. He's an incredible addition to the lineup, especially if he can pick up where he left off earlier this season.
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Paredes, before landing on the injured list, had a .259 batting average through 94 games with 19 home runs, 50 RBIs, 15 doubles, and an impressive .829 OPS.
Adding Paredes to the lineup for the Mariners series is perfect timing for the Astros. There were fears he'd miss the rest of the season, but instead, he's perfectly timed reinforcements for the biggest series of the year across baseball.
With only nine games left in the year, the winner of the series will have a significant advantage in the division. For the Astros, with matchups against the Athletics and the Los Angeles Angels, a series win would go a long way towards clinching the West.
Seattle, on the other hand, if they win the division, will close out the year against the Los Angeles Dodgers in a tough matchup. But there's a scenario where the Dodgers rest their stars, as their seed could be decided by that point in the year.
Regardless of how the rest of the year plays out, this is a huge series, and the Astros are getting some incredible help in the form of Paredes coming off the injured list at the perfect time.
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