After years away from affiliated baseball, Australian left-hander Josh Hendrickson made his Houston Astros debut in a tight AL West race.

Lucas Spence delivered a historic night for the Houston Astros that no one would've seen coming based on how rare it is.

Henry Bolte and Michael Stefanic both drove in two runs in the sixth inning, and Jacob Lopez tossed four strikeouts in the Athletics’ 6-5 win over the Houston Astros on Friday, assuring the AL West champion will be baseball’s first postseason team without a winning record in a full season.

Second baseman Jose Altuve and the Houston Astros are in the mix to return to the MLB playoffs for the first time since the 2024 season. This is how things stand entering play on Saturday, Sept. 19: The regular season ends Sunday, Sept. 27, and the Wild Card Series begins with four games on Tuesday, Sept. 29.

According to The Athletic's Chandler Rome, the Astros placed Javier on the 15-day IL with a Grade 2 right groin strain. In a corresponding move, the Astros selected lefty Josh Hendrickson to replace Javier on the Major League roster.

A comprehensive preview, including betting odds and predictions, for the MLB game between the Houston Astros and Athletics.

The 2026 MLB season is in its final week, and we have full coverage as the playoff picture comes into focus and teams punch their tickets to October. Teams who can clinch playoff spots today include the Cleveland Guardians,

The AL West, AL Central and final American League wild-card position remain undecided entering the final week.