HOUSTON — Ten days after dismissing their general manager, the Houston Astros are discussing the distinct possibility of a postseason bye. Winning a four-game series against the American League Central-leading Chicago White Sox gave Houston the season tiebreaker over the South Siders, who lead the Astros by just 1 1/2 games for the second seed in the American League playoffs.“Of course it can be attainable,” ace Hunter Brown said after Thursday’s 6-2 win. “We know what we bring to the table. We know we’re a good team. Why not?”Would anything else feel more appropriate in this slog of an American League? Houston is now three games above .500 and, according to FanGraphs, has the fourth-highest World Series odds of any AL team. If not for their inability to beat the dregs of their division, the Astros’ chances may be greater.“We know we have to play our best,” said manager Joe Espada, whose team is now 28-18 against clubs above .500 and held the White Sox to 10 runs across four games.“We needed to come here at home and play well. We pitched really well, too. It’s the kind of series I’m expecting these boys to (have) this time of year. Just really good baseball.”The Arizona Diamondbacks — another club above .500 — arrive at Daikin Park for a three-game series starting Friday. Before they do, here are two takeaways from a fulfilling four-game set against Chicago.Who the Astros should hire as their next GMKeith LawHunter Brown has found something with his sinkerWhat started as a show pitch has now helped to stabilize Brown’s season. Two years ago, at the behest of former third baseman Alex Bregman, Brown began throwing a sinker against right-handed hitters. Metrics didn’t love the pitch, but it succeeded in making righties uncomfortable while keeping them from selling out on anything over the outer half of home plate.“It’s not your typical sinker,” pitching coach Josh Miller said last week. “It’s a fastball that runs more than his four-seam. He uses the seams to kick it over a little bit. It might not measure well on any type of pitch grader based on the movement, but it plays well.”Now, at a pivotal time, Brown’s sinker is playing better than ever. According to Baseball Savant, it has already accrued a run value of 5. Brown’s sinker finished last season — one in which he made 31 starts — worth a run value of 6. Bear in mind, Brown made his 16th start of an injury-shortened season Thursday against the White Sox.Brown limited Chicago to two runs across six innings. Thirty-six of Brown’s 101 pitches were sinkers, prolonging a seismic shift for a pitcher known for a menacing four-seam fastball. Brown has thrown his sinker at least 34.4 percent of the time in four of his past six starts. He crossed that threshold just once during his first 10 starts.Brown’s inability to command his four-seam fastball has forced the switch in styles. He has made 14 starts since coming off the injured list June 16. Brown has a sub-42 percent in-zone rate with his four-seam fastball in eight of them. It is no surprise, then, that Brown has a 12.9 percent walk rate.On Thursday, Brown threw his four-seamer in the strike zone just 39 percent of the time. His sinker landed in the strike zone at a 53 percent clip. Ten of his past 14 starts have seen Brown boast at least a 50 percent in-zone rate with his sinker, which has become a weapon regardless of where the opponents stand.Brown threw 26 of his 36 sinkers to left-handed hitters Thursday. He has already thrown 191 sinkers to lefties this season — 28 more than he did across all of last season — and has allowed just 19 hits (12 singles) to them.“Right now, it’s the pitch I feel like I can command the best,” Brown said after his start last week against the New York Mets. “I think it’s just comfortability. It seems kind of natural when I throw it — not that my other pitches don’t. I feel like I’ve actually kind of thrown that one the longest. It feels good, and it’s something I rely heavily on now, too.”Hunter Brown (58) walks back to the dugout after striking out Chicago White Sox second baseman Chase Meidroth to end the second inning at Daikin Park. (Thomas Shea / Imagn Images)There is some sacrifice in becoming sinker-heavy. Brown may forfeit some swing-and-miss — especially if his secondary weapons aren’t sharp — and can become susceptible to poor batted-ball luck. Thursday’s second inning is a prime example. But for a pitcher who got fed up with walks and is atop a rotation that needs length, Brown had little choice but to pivot.“The two-seam has allowed him to attack the zone and that can keep you afloat, especially in today’s game when you’re swinging less and chasing less,” Miller said. “You have to be in (the strike) zone, and it’s helped him out.”What Carlos Correa’s return could mean for Astros’ infieldFew logical explanations exist for removing Yordan Alvarez in the eighth inning of a scoreless game, but Espada had one Wednesday. A day earlier, Alvarez fouled a ball off his left knee and still appeared in discomfort for the game’s first seven innings. The team even delayed posting its starting lineup Wednesday due to uncertainty around his availability.That Espada removed him for pinch-runner Nick Allen is sensible. Alvarez isn’t fast, felt less than 100 percent and represented the go-ahead run in a scoreless game. Trying to take the lead in the eighth inning, especially with closer Josh Hader rested and looming to pitch the ninth, seemed prudent.Nelson Velázquez delivered a go-ahead double and Hader converted his 22nd save in as many chances to quash any debate about Alvarez’s early absence. More of them could soon manifest — especially if Carlos Correa completes his unexpected comeback from left ankle surgery. He will head to the team’s spring training complex in West Palm Beach, Fla., this weekend to begin a baserunning progression and take at-bats in bridge games.Correa has already conveyed to both Espada and reporters that he does not like serving as a designated hitter. Espada confirmed this week that if Correa can return, he will do so as Houston’s third baseman. The manager has refused any further follow-up questions about how he may configure his crowded infield.As Espada considers his options, though, keeping Alvarez on the field for an entire game must be his foremost objective. Doing so may require sacrificing defense during a close game or even removing Jose Altuve — this franchise’s most accomplished playoff performer — in the later innings.Assuming Correa returns, he will usurp Isaac Paredes as the team’s third baseman. Paredes finished Thursday with a .779 OPS, trailing only Alvarez and shortstop Jeremy Peña for the team lead. He must stay in the lineup.The most logical place for Paredes to play is second base, where, according to Sports Info Solutions, Altuve has been worth minus-14 runs saved this season. No second baseman in the sport has been worse defensively. Paredes’ lack of range won’t make him a premier defender at second, but it’s not as if Houston has one now.If Espada plays Paredes at second, it would force both Altuve and Alvarez to share time at designated hitter and in left field. Alvarez has started 22 games in left field this season, including on consecutive days during the team’s last road trip in New York — a milestone that can’t be overlooked in this discussion.Altuve, whom the team tried to move off second base last season, started 44 games in left field in 2025 before injuries across the roster forced him back to the infield. Altuve did not take any fly balls in left field during spring training and, at least in public view, has not done any outfield work this season.Neither Altuve nor Alvarez is a good left fielder, but both can make routine plays. The short porch at Daikin Park, where the Astros would open a potential playoff series as either the No. 2 or 3 seed, will help. What won’t: Houston’s pitching staff is allowing the highest fly-ball rate in the sport.Across his three-year tenure, Espada has been hell-bent on constructing his best defensive alignment late in games the Astros are winning. As left fielders, neither Alvarez nor Altuve is part of it. Alvarez has more recent outfield experience than Altuve, but would Espada dare remove an American League MVP front-runner in a close game?The answer, in all likelihood, is no. That Espada has already shown more willingness to pull Altuve late in games this season is important, too. Altuve has been pulled for a defensive replacement in close games 16 times this season.It is not an ideal setup — and exactly why the Astros tried to alleviate their infield surplus last winter — but it is what the Astros will confront if Correa returns.