Did you know that Shay Whitcomb is on the 2026 Houston Astros? I don’t even mean on the 40-man roster; did you know that he’s up with the big team, traveling with the club, on the 26-man roster?
He’s not a recent call-up either. He’s been on the 26-man for 38 of the team’s 49 games this year.
He started the season in AAA Sugar Land for the first 7 games of the season, then came up for a 3 game stint, while Isaac Paredes was on bereavement leave. He was called back up a week later and has been on the major league team since then, save for two days. (On May 4, they sent him down to get Cesar Salazar up because of Yainer Diaz’s injury. Two days later, Carlos Correa was injured, and Whitcomb came right back.)
If you haven’t noticed Whitcomb, I can hardly blame you. During those 38 games, he has started in just 2. The last time he started was April 19. One month ago.
He has appeared as a late inning fielder in another 7 games. He has a grand total of 17 at bats.
He hasn’t done much with those 17 at bats. He has a single and a home run. He’s walked once and struck out 9 times. His 2 for 17 (.118) is pretty much what he’s shown in his 32 at bats in 2025 (4 hits, .125) and his 41 at bats in 2024 (9 hits, .220).
There was some buzz about Whitcomb when he played for Team Korea in the World Baseball Classic. Whitcomb hit a long ball against the Orix Buffaloes of NPB in an exhibition again, and hit 2 home runs against Team Czechia in the WBC group stage.
The problem is that none of those pitchers he took deep were MLB level. We know Whitcomb can hit AA and AAA level pitching. In 2024 and 2025, he had back to back 25 home run seasons for AAA Sugar Land. In 2023, he hit 35 home runs between AAA Sugar Land and AA Corpus Christi. The results just haven’t shown up at the major league level.
A lot of times though, depth infielders aren’t on the 26-man for their bat, but for their glove. That’s why Nick Allen is on the team, despite a light bat. That’s why Braden Shewmake is on team. Shewmake has cooled off with his bat in recent games, which was to be expected given his xStats, but his great defense is still constant.
If the Astros have Nick Allen and Braden Shewmake, why do they need Whitcomb? Yes, there have been many injuries to infielders. Correa and Jose Altuve are on the IL, and Jeremy Pena just came back from the IL yesterday. But playing on a team decimated by injuries, it’s somewhat telling that Whitcomb still can’t find playing time.
So what is Whitcomb’s role on this roster?
One of his two starts wasn’t even in the infield. It was as a left fielder.
At the minor league level, Whitcomb has played 1B, 2B, 3B, SS and OF in 2024-2025. In the majors, across parts of 3 seasons, he has played 11 games at 3B, 5 games at 2B and 1 in LF. He has been outright bad at third base. It’s not often that MLB cuts a montage of a player’s lowlights, but have a watch:
The Astros keep treating him like a third baseman, but he’s probably not suited for the left side of the infield. He’s also not been getting the “let’s convert you to an outfielder” push that Cam Smith and Brice Matthews got. That really only leaves second base as a position where he could be useable. Even with Altuve on the IL, it’s clear they’d rather use Shewmake, Allen and even Matthews at second base before Whitcomb. An end-of-the-bench major league player ought to have more defensive versatility.
Do the Astros feel he’s reached his offensive ceiling? There’s nothing left for him to prove at AAA, but he’s not getting at bats at the MLB level either, even though he’s occupying up one of the 26 precious roster spots, and everyone in front of him keeps getting injured.
What do you have left? A 27 year-old that the Astros are no longer really trying to develop as a hitter and who they don’t seem to trust defensively. He’s not really even a prospect anymore; he’s just a guy, but he seems to be inadequate even for that.
I get it. He’s the 26th man on the 26-man roster, but every player on the roster should serve a role, and Whitcomb’s is unclear. He’s a poor bench option offensively for pinch hitting and does not represent a defensive upgrade in the late innings. If Whitcomb doesn’t have enough to get playing time on the 2026 Houston Astros, he just doesn’t have enough.
Astros @ Twins Game Information and Gamethread Details
Lance McCullers starts for the Astros. McCullers is coming off his 3rd best start of the season, allowing 2 ER over 5.1 IP, but with 9 baserunners during those innings, it was still only a 50 gamescore. He sits at an unsightly 6.86 ERA on the season, with good striekout numbers (9.8 K/9), but ugly walk numbers (5 BB/9).
Zebby Matthews, RHP, makes his second start of the season for the Twins. His first start was a gem: 7 IP, 0 ER, 4 hits, 5K and 1 BB. Matthews has always had good strikeout numbers with a career 9.9 K/9 since debuting in 2024, but it hasn’t translated into results on the scoreboard with a career 5.59 ERA, at least until this year.
This post will be updated with starting lineups as they are made available.
The game will be broadcast at 6:40 p.m. CT on SCHN with radio coverage on KBME 790 AM.
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When even Nick Allen is more recognizable on the roster than you are……
I’d just retire at that point. Lol
Nick Allen has 14 at bats since he came back from the IL 2 weeks ago. Shay has 17 on the whole season.
Shay Witcomb hit with some stray sluggs this morning.
Shay has nice work if you can get it.
I suspect that Shay Whitcomb is on the roster because, unlike Shumake and Allen, he can play both OF and IF as a reserve. He is the guy on the end of the bench who can enter the game in extra innings when you run out of players at a position.
A year or so ago, the Astros’ minor league player development coach said he believed corner OF could end up being Whitcomb’s best position, because he has good speed and a good ability to track the ball.
I still think Whitcomb could hit well at the ML level if he is given regular starting at bats. But we probably won’t ever find out unless something extreme happens to the team.
Yep, get rid of Espada.
more extreme than every infielder missing time this year besides walker? i mean, i guess a meteor could hit. 😂
I was actually thinking about a huge sell-off at mid-season.
For me, Shay is a problem between DB and Espada. DB keeps promoting him and Espada keeps benching him, something has to give.
Shay doesn’t have anything to proof in AAA, he can hit very well down there. He doesn’t have a sweet glove or a strong arm. He is tall and has power….how about trying him in 1B?
Maybe he will get a chance when Espada is gone.
thats not a bad idea. he’s played 1B in the minors. so say july comes, the astros are sellers, and they find a taker for walker and paredes, opening up first base. You could let shay get MLB at bats while manning first in the back of the season. if he starts to figure out hitting at the MLB level, great. If not, he can just be released in the offseason.
or if you can convince someone to take shay at the deadline for anything, even a low A flyer fringe prospect, take it.
If I was in charge, I fire Espada now, long before a fire sale in July.
Well so much for my preview. Lance to the IL and whitcomb optioned.