Halfway home - By Jim Gazzolo

It wasn’t the first half they expected, but the defending World Champs are right in the thick of things heading into the All-Star Break.

Hit with some major injuries and a surprising rival getting off to a great start, the Houston Astros found a way to stay in the thick of things.

After winning four of their last five heading into the break, the Astros sit at 50-41 as Major League Baseball takes its annual time off to celebrate its stars.

Houston will also benefit from a struggling Texas Ranger team that has fallen back to the pack of late. The Rangers haven’t won a series since mid-June. That helped the Astros cut into the fast Texas start and trail by just two games heading into the second half.

The Astros also find themselves in the middle of the American League Wild Card race. All this after losing both Jose Altuve and Yordan Alvarez for most of the opening half.

The duo might be the best Astros players overall but have not been on the field much this year, especially Altuve. He missed the first part of the season with a fractured thumb. Now it’s an oblique muscle that has him out.

“It’s a nightmare for me this year, coming back from a big injury that I lost two months and then keep missing games,” Altuve said. “It's out of my control, but the only thing I can do is go out there and keep working hard because I know this is going to be over and I’m going to be 100 percent again and stay healthy the rest of the season.”

The All-Star second baseman has appeared in just 32 games this year, hitting .264 with six homers and 18 runs batted in.

Alvarez, the biggest bat in the Houston lineup, has been out with a right oblique injury since June 9. He did take batting practice Sunday so he may return sooner than first expected.

If they return strong, as well as some of the pitchers the Astros have lost, then the second half could be a big winner for the champs in their title defense.

“I think our best days are ahead of us,” said manager Dusty Baker. “I have been thinking that our best days were ahead since we lost all those guys.

“Key is to get them back and get them back ready. Not be in a hurry but kind of a hurry. We need to get them back as themselves and they are close.”

The Astros may not have had the first half they wanted or expected, but repeating as the champs is still very much within reach. It is likely that they will need to make a trade with the question of Michael Brantley’s return, so a bat will be needed.

Getting another starter or an arm for the bullpen would also be a big plus, but Houston’s hopes really come down to just how well their big stars recover and what type of a second half they have.

If all goes well, another title is well within reach.

Jim Gazzolo is a freelance sports writer. He is also the host of Poke Nation on CBS-Lake Charles