Chandler Rome

Staff Writer, Houston Astros

Chandler Rome is a Staff Writer for The Athletic covering the Houston Astros. Before joining The Athletic, he covered the Astros for five years at the Houston Chronicle. He is a graduate of Louisiana State University.

Three Astros All-Star takeaways: Ronel Blanco's omission and Jose Altuve's decision

Altuve is still successful this season, albeit with a different approach. But will he attend the All-Star Game?

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Even without Kyle Tucker, the Astros' 'selfless' offense is thriving

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Spencer Arrighetti's struggles heighten Astros' need for rotation help

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How two Astros teammates aided Hunter Brown's turnaround from baseball's abyss

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Three Astros takeaways: Justin Verlander's future, Joe Espada's bullpen management, more

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Carlos Mendoza, Joe Espada to experience full-circle moment during Astros-Mets series

On Friday night, the two friends and first-year managers will lead their clubs into a critical series at Citi Field.

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The Astros are finally .500 but there's 'no sense of relief'

A dreadful start made it a tall task, but the Astros' sights are too high to celebrate after Wednesday's win improved their record to 40-40.

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Astros' J.P. France to undergo season-ending shoulder surgery

France, who made five starts for the Astros before going to Triple A, went on the minor-league injured list in early May.

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Astros 'swing too much,' search for balance with aggressive bats

“Our whole offense needs to take more pitches,” third baseman Alex Bregman said. “We swing too much.”

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Three Astros takeaways: Making the lineup more athletic, finding a fifth starter and more

Plus, how losing Framber Valdez's personal catcher for an extended period will affect the team.

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Jake Bloss joins Astros' lengthy list of injured starting pitchers

Bloss, who made his major-league debut Friday, exited after 79 pitches with what the club called right shoulder "discomfort."

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Astros expected to promote Jake Bloss for MLB debut vs. Orioles: Sources

Bloss, a third-round selection in last July’s draft, has made just eight starts at Double A and will bypass Triple A entirely.

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Astros mailbag: On trade deadline decisions, job security and Kyle Tucker's future

Pinning underperformance on anyone but the players themselves seems misguided, but sports is full of figures who’ve taken the fall for it.

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Astros place Justin Verlander on 15-day IL with 'neck discomfort'

Another blow to Houston's rotation also casts doubt about whether Verlander will reach the innings threshold for his 2025 vesting option.

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Submit your questions for Chandler Rome’s next Astros mailbag

The Astros cut ties with José Abreu, though that doesn't solve all of their problems.

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Houston's plans to move ahead in the post-José Abreu era: 3 Astros takeaways

The Astros don't have an obvious solution at first base, while rookie Joey Loperfido seems better suited as an outfielder at this point.

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Astros' Justin Verlander scratched from start vs. Tigers due to neck discomfort

Verlander is one of five healthy starters with meaningful major-league experience on Houston’s 40-man roster.

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José Abreu's Astros tenure is over, and there's no 'teaching moment' to take away

"You're banking on human beings, and sometimes these human beings take a fall," Astros GM Dana Brown said.

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Astros release José Abreu from major league roster: Why Houston moved on from struggling slugger

Abreu accrued negative-1.6 wins above replacement across his Astros tenure.

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Houston Astros MLB trade deadline primer: 3 early storylines to watch

Trade deadlines during Jim Crane’s ownership tenure have been dominated by “all-in” moves. Will this club merit a similar sort of splash?

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Astros' flawed roster construction accentuated by another 1-run loss

Houston fell to 5-14 in one-run games, seven games under .500 and 7 1/2 games behind the Seattle Mariners in the AL West on Monday.

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Three Astros takeaways: Bullpen balance, Jose Altuve's aggression, Yainer Diaz's break

Some relievers' workloads are worth watching, plus notes on Altuve's approach and Diaz's adjustment to being an everyday catcher.

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Joey Loperfido returns to Astros with clear path to regular playing time

With Kyle Tucker going on the IL, there could be an opening for Loperfido: "Where we're at, I think there will be more opportunities."

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Astros place Kyle Tucker on injured list, plan to call up Joey Loperfido: Sources

Tucker's stint on the injured list is retroactive to Tuesday, so he'll be eligible to return on June 14.

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Four thoughts on Houston's pitching staff after José Urquidy and Cristian Javier's elbow surgeries

A disastrous dose of finality arrived for the Astros. They must now navigate the rotation without Urquidy or Javier.

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