The news, in a certain way, is not surprising: The Houston Astros have designated center fielder Jake Meyers for assignment after he played only 57 games in the 2026 regular season, producing a poor offensive line of .213/.268/.326, with just three home runs, 11 RBIs, and a 67 wRC+. Meyers, 30, has been with the Astros since his debut in 2021 and was part of the team that won the 2022 World Series, but he has had trouble staying healthy and has missed 163 team games over the last two seasons.

In 2025, Meyers had just finished one of the best seasons of his career by producing 2.3 fWAR, without much power — he hit just three home runs in 381 plate appearances — but he still provided above-average value as a baserunner and solid defense in center field. That stretch between 2023 and 2025, between the ages of 27 and 29, defines the best period of his career with the Astros, when he produced a 91 OPS+ with 51 doubles, six triples, 26 home runs, and 118 RBIs in 364 games to generate a 5.5 bWAR.

What will be the next step after Meyers’ departure?

Houston trusted a version of Meyers that never managed to develop beyond his low-power standards, too much. The poor plate discipline, with few walks and many strikeouts, left his best contribution on defense. During his six-season career and 522 games played — an average of 87 games per year — Meyers’ contribution was predominantly defensive, with 26.2 Def, while he was above the league average as a baserunner with 2.8 BsR, and his bat produced a negative value of -17.6 Off, according to FanGraphs metrics that express each player’s offensive, defensive, and baserunning value in runs.

Meyers’ injury history dates back to 2021, when he suffered a tear of the left shoulder labrum after crashing into the wall during the Division Series against the Chicago White Sox, which required surgery and affected his availability for much of 2022. In 2025, a right calf strain kept him out for almost two months.

Given his declining performance and the continuous injuries that kept him away from a starting role, the big question is how the Astros allowed themselves not to reinforce the team earlier and trusted too much in Meyers’ return, when he really has not demonstrated stability in center field. His problems came together with the lack of depth in left field, and all of this led Houston to make the decision to bring in Daulton Varsho at this year’s trade deadline, a move that, in the end, did not work either.

In 2026, a Grade 2 right oblique strain forced Meyers to miss more than a month of action and, although he returned in May, he didn't regain his place on the team. His season ended in September, when he was hit by a foul ball in the area of his left kneecap while playing with Sugar Land, an injury that kept him out for the rest of the year. With Meyers’ departure, the Astros continue to create more roster space, and it is very likely that, led by the new era of general manager Randy Flores, they will move toward a bigger cleanup before looking for options in free agency that can strengthen the team.