The Houston Astros just can’t seem to do anything right. Their 2024 season has been the definition of one step forward, two steps back.

That was the case in Washington, D.C. last weekend as the Astros dropped two of three to the middling Washington Nationals. Houston appeared to get a boost during Justin Verlander’s return on Friday, only to immediately regress and lose the next two games.

That capped a brutal 1-5 week for the Astros, who now find themselves at 7-16 and in last place in the AL West entering play on Tuesday. It’s still early, but Houston fans are growing increasingly concerned, especially considering that no team in the past 100 years has started that poorly and still made the postseason.

It’d be easier to feel more optimistic about the Astros if they were only dealing with a few minor issues or were being plagued by bad luck, but a number of glaring problems have already emerged.

Houston’s starting rotation has been shredded by injuries, the bullpen can’t seem to hold a lead and the offense is struggling to get timely hits with men on base. There’s also a sense that rookie manager Joe Espada is overwhelmed and doesn’t know how to right the ship.

That’s a lot of holes to plug, perhaps too many in a tough division with two other playoff contenders in the Texas Rangers and Seattle Mariners.

The Astros erred in the offseason by not signing Jordan Montgomery or Blake Snell, but they could still try to trade for a starter. They also failed to sufficiently reinforce their bullpen after losing three key relievers, so they would need to trade for those as well.

In the meantime, Espada needs to be more proactive and challenge his veterans. That means benching Jose Abreu and giving his team the best chance to win every day, even if some players aren’t happy about it.

It’s not too late to save the season, but serious changes need to be made soon. Otherwise, Houston could be heading towards its first summer of meaningless baseball in years.