30-year old righty reliever Matt Lindstrom took advantage of a injury to Brandon Lyon in spring training as he took over as the closer and he’s not looking back. Lindstrom has pitched in 10 games (0 starts) for the Astros and he is 0-0 with 6 saves, a 2.70 ERA and a 1.40 WHIP. He has 11 whiffs in only 10 innings this season as he has solid stuff and he’s been showing it off so far this year. The Astros needed someone to step up as the closer and Lindstrom definitely has both the stuff and the demeanor to keep a hold of the job all year long which is exactly what the Astros hope he does.

27-year old lefty swinging CF Michael Bourn is trying to build off his breakout 2009 season. He played in 157 games for the Astros last season and he was 173 of 606 (.285 avg, .738 OPS) with 97 runs scored, 3 homers, 35 RBIs and a N.L. leading 61 stolen bases. Still, that was Bourn’s first good season so skeptics remained. But, Bourn is off to a fast start in which he is actually playing at a higher level than he did in 2009 so far. He has played in 17 games for the Astros so far this season and he is 19 of 58 (.328 avg, .831 OPS) with 11 runs scored, 2 RBIs and 8 stolen bases. Bourn is also showing a great eye so far this season as he has 11 walks this year. If Bourn keeps showing great discipline for the Astros he will score more than 100 runs and he will steal around 75 bases if he can stay healthy.

The Astros have placed 25-year old righty swinging 3B Chris Johnson on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right intercostal muscle. Johnson has played in 8 games for the Astros so far this season and he is 5 for 22 (.227 avg, .545 OPS) with 4 runs scored, 1 triple and 2 RBIs. His main problem with the Astros so far this season has been making contact as he has whiffed 8 times already this season. Johnson is the #16 rated prospect in the Astros’ minor league system coming into this season according to Baseball America. The Astros will likely send him on a lengthy rehab assignment when he is ready to play again.

The Astros are off to a 3-9 start this season which has them in last place in the N.L. Central, 5 games behind the Cardinals. The Astros have been outscored 58-27 this season as they just can’t hit the ball right now. With Lance Berkman returning tomorrow maybe he will give the offense a shot in the arm. The Astros have six home games this week playing 3 against the Marlins and the Pirates.

32-year old righty reliever Chris Sampson is off to a good start for the Astros this season. He has pitched in 7 games for the Astros this season and he is 0-0 with a 1.17 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP. He has only allowed 5 hits in 7 2/3 innings for the Astros as he is pitching some of the best baseball of his major league career right now and they need him to keep up the good work.

With Lance Berkman returning from the D.L., Geoff Blum will go back to being one of the top players off the bench for the Astros. Blum has played in 9 games for the Astros this season and he is 7 for 28 (.250 avg, .597 OPS) with 2 runs scored and 1 RBI. His bat was a liability at 1B for the Astros but his versatility in the field makes him an asset off the bench.

The Astros will activate 34-year old switch hitting 1B Lance Berkman off the D.L. for tomorrow’s game. He played in 2 games in AAA-ball on a rehab assignment and he was 3 for 6 (.500 avg, 1.762 OPS) with 3 runs scored, 2 doubles, a homer and 3 RBIs. The Astros hope that Berkman’s return will spark a very stagnant offense that is hitting .215 (.525 OPS) as a team. The Astros have only scored 28 runs in 12 games this year.

Astros’ ace Roy Oswalt has been pitching allright so far this season but he is still 0-2. He has a 3.75 ERA and a 1.33 WHIP with 11 strikeouts in 12 innings this season. Oswalt just needs to keep giving it his best and hope that the offense will come around at some point. I’m thinking that Oswalt could have a top ten ERA in the N.L. and still have a losing record for the Astros the way things look right now.

The Astros went 0-6 in the first week of the 2010 season as they were outscored 37-13! They didn’t hit or pitch well and if things don’t start to change soon it’s going to be a long, long year for the Astros. The Astros are only hitting .222 with a .548 OPS so far this season and that is downright pathetic. It doesn’t get any easier this week for the Astros as they travel to St. Louis (3 games) and Chicago (3 games).

Where to start? The Astros pitching staff is getting drilled so far this season. The starting rotation is 0-3 with a 5.66 ERA and a 2.08 in their first four starts of the season and that is pretty awful. I think they will be better the second time around because it’s a talented bunch. But the bullpen stats minus Matt Lindstrom and Brandon Lyon are pathetic. The bullpen has pitched in 13 games (minus Lindstrom & Lyon) in which they are 0-1 with a 10.80 ERA and a 1.80 WHIP. Middle relief could be a problem all year long for the Astros. The Astros need to start pitching better because it doesn’t look like they are going to score a ton of runs this season.