HOUSTON -- You generally get a pretty good idea of how a baseball team is stacking up by Memorial Day. As the Astros hit Memorial Day weekend, they are locked in a battle with the A’s for first place in the American League West. There’s no real shocker there.

The Astros currently have four-fifths of their starting rotation on the injured list, though Framber Valdez will make his first start of 2021 on Friday, Jake Odorizzi returns Saturday and José Urquidy could return on Monday. The right shoulder injury suffered by Lance McCullers Jr. isn’t serious, the teams says.

Valdez, Odorizzi and Urquidy will be returning in the middle of an important homestand in which the Astros are playing three of the best teams in baseball. Houston just split two games with the Dodgers and now welcomes the Padres for three beginning Friday before the Red Sox visit for four games next week.

It’s a good time to be a baseball fan in Houston, so let’s see what’s on your mind:

Do the Astros add to the pitching rotation or bullpen before the Trade Deadline?
-- @AhjProductions

The Astros’ biggest need is clearly the bullpen, where injuries and the inability to throw strikes have become a growing issue. Astros general manger James Click addressed the bullpen Wednesday, saying, “We think these guys can do it, but we’re not going to cut off the possibility of adding some guys from outside the organization if that’s what it comes to.”

There’s no doubt the Astros will be on the lookout for bullpen help, but nothing is likely to be done until closer to the July 30 Trade Deadline. By then, teams will have a better idea of whether they’re going to make a run in the second half and if they will be sellers or buyers. You can bet the Astros will be buying.

Given the [Carlos] Correa financial situation, could he be moved for massive pitching or any other prospects since it’s likely he will not be back next year?
-- @tallyshwacker

No, the Astros aren’t going to trade Correa as long as they’re in contention this year, and they’re going to be in contention. The Astros finished a game shy of reaching the World Series last year and believe they can make another October run, so Correa -- who was terrific in the playoffs last year -- isn’t going anywhere. Now, if they were 15 games out of first place in July, then it would make sense to trade him, but this is a contending club.

Has there been any indication about what happens next with [Luis] Garcia? I’ve heard it tossed around that he could go to Triple-A to keep his longevity for outings if needed as a starter in the future, but it seems like he may be more beneficial in the bullpen.
-- @StuessyBrittany

Garcia, who held the Dodgers to no earned runs in six innings Wednesday, has opened some eyes this year with a 2.93 ERA and 1.02 WHIP in 46 innings. He’s a competitor who throws strikes and has an easygoing demeanor on and off the mound. Even with Valdez, Odorizzi and Urquidy coming back soon, Garcia stays in the rotation for now and he should get his next turn against the Padres.

The question then becomes, what happens when McCullers comes back? With Valdez, Odorizzi, Urquidy and McCullers all healthy and joining Zack Greinke in the rotation, Garcia could be the odd man out. He’s pitched too well to go to Triple-A, so he could be moved to the bullpen like the Astros did with Cristian Javier. Either way, he’s an asset.

If [catcher Martín] Maldonado improves his hitting, will that affect how they manage getting the rookies/younger guys into the games? Asking from the POV that the biggest detriment to the young guys is that Maldonado is such an offensive liability behind them in the order.
-- @EriKNordt

I’m not sure what the question is here. Maldonado’s performance isn’t going to affect playing time for anybody other than catcher Jason Castro, who probably has earned some more frequent playing time. Maldonado’s value is handling the pitching staff, his arm and calling games. How many times this year have we seen Maldonado notice a pitcher was injured and call out the trainers? It happened just the other day with Kent Emanuel. That’s only part of his value -- it goes beyond the numbers.

Do you have any early Astros favorites for the All-Star Game?
-- @EdBashinski

With All-Star Game voting set to begin next month, the Astros figure to have quite a few candidates to represent the club in Denver. I’d say three-fourths of their starting infield has a shot, with Alex Bregman at third, Jose Altuve at second and Yuli Gurriel at first. Gurriel’s biggest competition is Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Matt Olson, Altuve’s is Marcus Semien and Bregman’s is Rafael Devers and José Ramírez.

Designated hitter Yordan Alvarez -- who’s currently in an 0-for-15 slump -- has a shot, though the DH competition will be stiff with J.D. Martinez and Yermín Mercedes. Outfielder Michael Brantley will be in the mix, as well. As far as pitchers go, I think only closer Ryan Pressly and McCullers are candidates to be All-Stars.

Which players(s) not on the current 40-man are most likely to appear in the big leagues this season, if any? Assuming we do not upgrade CF via trade, what realistic options are available with the organization for this season.
-- @Chris_SimonSays

The Astros brought right-hander Ralph Garza Jr. off the 40-man roster Wednesday, and he’s not going to be the only one. Concerns over increased pitching workloads and injuries are going to test Houston’s depth further, which means some other non-roster pitchers could get a look. Jojanse Torres, Shawn Dubin, Austin Hansen and Brett Conine are among that group. Among position players, center fielder Jose Siri (he leads Triple-A with 28 RBIs) figures to get a look in the big leagues at some point.

Has there been any chatter about [Justin] Verlander’s rehabilitation? Is he ahead of schedule? Is it still very unlikely we will see him pitch this year?
-- @RealKrisWithK

Earlier this month, Verlander spoke at length about his rehab. In a nutshell, he said his rehab is going very well and he hasn’t completely ruled out pitching later in 2021, but it would be as a reliever in the playoffs. He cautioned, though, that there’s “a lot of things that need to go perfectly from now until then for that even to be a discussion.”

Do you expect Valdez to be the same as he was in 2020?
-- @HouStrosBroncos

That’s tough to know. Valdez certainly put it all together in last year’s shortened season and was the Astros’ most consistent pitcher, but he threw only 70 2/3 innings in the regular season. Still, he said last year he worked with a psychologist in the previous offseason to improve his mindset and body language. That seemed to contribute to his remarkable turnaround, along with throwing more strikes. What to expect? We’ll all find out beginning Friday.