Astros GM not looking to replace Espada as manager

Houston Astros general manager Dana Brown isn't interested in replacing Joe Espada as manager despite the team's 11-18 record.

"No. Joe is managing through the injuries. We are all watching what's going on," Brown replied Sunday when asked if the Astros were considering a managerial change, according to The Athletic's Chandler Rome.

"The pitching hasn't been up to par. We're walking a ton of guys. I can't start pointing the finger at Joe because we're walking a ton of guys and we're banged up."

The Astros' pitching staff has walked a league-leading 158 hitters this season while posting a combined ERA of 5.97. Houston also has 15 players on the injured list, including ace Hunter Brown, closer Josh Hader, and All-Star shortstop Jeremy Peña.

The injuries have forced Espada into using less-than-ideal lineups. Sunday against the New York Yankees, fill-in players Dustin Harris, Braden Shewmake, and Daniel Johnson went a combined 0-for-9.

"If this was a case of we were healthy and our pitching was throwing well and (Espada) was making mistakes, that would be a totally different ballgame," Dana Brown said.

"That's not the case. The case is, we're banged up. We don't have three starters that were in our Opening Day rotation, and we're walking a lot of players, which - we have to get that together. You can't point to the manager for the injuries or the walks."

Espada initially joined the Astros as a bench coach in 2018 and is in the final year of his contract as manager.