Justin Maxwell tripled twice and walked Sunday in the opener against the Rangers. Maxwell had an awful spring (.153/.231/.356, 21 K's in 59 AB), and as a result, he was hitting a bit lower in the order (fifth) than originally expected. Still, he offers an intriguing power-speed combination to go along with all of those strikeouts, and he really showed it off tonight by becoming the first Astro in a couple of years to triple twice in a game. The first triple, high off the wall in left field, almost bounced over for a home run.

Justin Maxwell was struck on the wrist by a pitch Monday but said after the game that he's fine. Maxwell has a plate in the wrist from a previous surgery, but it sounds like he'll be OK. The 29-year-old is a decent late-round option in fantasy leagues with his power/speed combo.

Justin Maxwell left Monday's game against the Nationals after being hit by a pitch. The Astros should provide an update on his status before long. Maxwell is slated to open the season as the club's starting center fielder.

Justin Maxwell went 0-for-4 and struck out three more times Saturday against the Braves. Maxwell's power and speed combination makes him one of the Astros' most intriguing players for fantasy purposes, but he's having a pretty dreadful spring with his .157 average and 17/2 K/BB ratio in 51 at-bats. While he is a sleeper, it wouldn't be a good idea to put too many eggs into this basket.

Justin Maxwell homered and walked against the Tigers on Monday. The Astros have surprisingly turned left field over to Chris Carter, but Maxwell's starting spot in the outfield still appears safe. He can't be counted on to stay healthy, but he could be a nice source of homers and steals early on.

Justin Maxwell had a three-run homer and an double Wednesday in a losing cause against the Cubs. Maxwell played about as well as one imagined he'd play given the opportunity and good health; he batted just .229, but it came with 18 homers and 53 RBI in 316 at-bats. He's probably not going to take a big step forward and his injury history makes him tough to count on, but he's one of the Astros' better players at the moment.

Justin Maxwell homered for a second consecutive game, helping to lead the Astros to a 5-0 victory over the Phillies on Saturday. He finished the night 1-for-4 with a run scored and two RBI. His two-run blast off Kyle Kendrick in the first inning gave the Astros an early lead, and would prove to be the difference in the game. He's settled in nicely as the cleanup hitter in the Astros lineup, and has blasted 16 homers with 46 RBI in only 267 at-bats. If you can live with the .236 average, he's been an extremely valuable commodity in most mixed leagues.

Justin Maxwell returned to action on Thursday August 30.

Justin Maxwell returned to action on Sunday August 26.

Justin Maxwell was scratched from Wednesday's lineup due to a bruised right index finger. He's considered day-to-day. The Astros are going with an outfield of Ben Francisco, Brandon Barnes and Steven Pearce against the Cardinals' Kyle Lohse.