Which Astros team should we believe? The one that launched from the All-Star Break winning two of four in Los Angeles, swept the Cardinals and beat Johan Santana for an impressive 6-2 start or the one that looked on the verge of collapse in losing four of five to the Mets and Cubs since that time?

The Astros have come to rely on Roy Oswalt and Wandy Rodriguez, but Oswalt was just benched with back pain - what would they possibly do without him? Then, Moehler, Hampton, and Ortiz, have been anything but reliable at the 3, 4, and 5 spots.

While the pitching has been shaky, so has the hitting. One obvious reason for the Astros’ struggles is Lance Berkman’s leg injury. He’s the focal point of the offense, and everything changes without him. Hunter Pence has slumped bigtime, showing a poor sense of judgment with many strikeouts lately. This month alone, he’s hitting less than .245, and his OPS is over .170 points lower than it was during each of the first three months of the season. Thankfully, Carlos Lee and Miguel Tejada have been there to keep the team’s bats somewhat afloat.

Aside from the injuries to their two stars, the team has been hit with all kinds of silly injuries and sicknesses. At this point, it wouldn’t surprise me to see someone miss time due to a hangnail.

After the All-Star break, it seemed like the Astros were destined to go on the typical run they seem to embark upon during the second half of every season, but this latest string of losses leaves the baseball world wondering what may happen. The Astros are undoubtedly a tough team, but this year might not be conducive to the usual, especially if Oswalt and Berkman remain hurt.

No one in Houston believes it’s time to throw in the towel, or veteran players like Valverde, Miguel Tejada, Pudge Rodriguez, or others may have found their way to other teams in the midst of a pennant chase. The prospect of new, young life may have built a foundation for the Astros’ future, but their above .500 record gave no one in Houston’s upper ranks any reason to throw in the towel.

The recent injury bug may have provided the first infusion of new talent for Houston. Pitcher Bud Norris is the first Astro all year to be making his major league debut. The Astros, in fact, are the last team in 2009 to have a player get their big league baptism.

Norris will probably make his debut on Sunday should Oswalt still be injured with back stiffness. Norris has had a great season so far, but despite having the best ERA in his league, he has a losing record. Pretty similar to the Astros. He looked great on the mound against the Cubs, allowing just 1 ER in 3 IP.

If the Astros remain a struggling team, one has to wonder whether other young players like Norris may have a chance to prove their worth in the big leagues. While it’s early to throw in the towel, the window is closing and we may see more young players promoted to the bigs.

Players like Hampton and Ortiz won’t be of much value to the franchise if they continue to pitch the way they have recently. Why have them eat up starts if Norris, Felipe Paulino and Yorman Bazardo continue to impress in AAA?

The Astros have this knack of defying reason. Count them out and they fight back into the race. Hop on their bandwagon and they quickly disappoint. One chunk of their fan base wants to see a big move to make them legitimate contenders. Others want the Astros to be blown up and rebuilt so they can come back stronger the next decade.

In the Book of Revelations, chapter three, the prophet tells the church of Laodicea, “I know your deeds that you are neither cold nor hot. I would that you were cold or hot.” (NASV). Anyone who knows the Astros can relate to this statement.