SEATTLE -- The one thing the Astros couldn’t afford was another injury, especially to an impact offensive player in a lineup that’s already been decimated by injuries. So when All-Star third baseman Isaac Paredes started limping halfway down the first-base line in the third inning Saturday, the Astros’ worst fears were realized.
Paredes said he will head to Houston on Sunday to undergo an MRI on his right hamstring, which he injured after hitting a single off the left-field wall in a 7-6 loss to the Mariners in 11 innings at T-Mobile Park. He was removed from the game and walked gingerly off the field with a trainer and manager Joe Espada, who said after the game that the injury “doesn’t look very good.”
“Just not what I want to see,” he said.
Paredes, who was added to the American League All-Star team to replace Cleveland’s José Ramírez but skipped the game to deal with “family matters,” missed only three games in June after straining his left hamstring, but he said the hamstring injury suffered Saturday feels worse.
“I’m a little worried,” Paredes said. “I just feel like it pulled as I started running and I couldn’t run anymore.”
The Astros are bringing up infielder/outfielder Shay Whitcomb and first baseman Jon Singleton from Triple-A Sugar Land to join the team Sunday, a source told MLB.com. That could mean Paredes is headed to the injured list.
The loss of Paredes would be devastating to an Astros lineup that’s already without slugger Yordan Alvarez, All-Star shortstop Jeremy Peña and center fielder Jake Meyers, among others. Paredes is slashing .259/.359/.470 with a team-high 19 homers and 50 RBIs in 93 games and is among the league leaders in walks.
“That guy is definitely an anchor in our lineup,” first baseman Christian Walker said. “But hopefully it was maybe similar to before, a couple of days and then he’ll be back. He’s tough. That’s super unfortunate, but that being said, we’ve got to find a way to win anyway.”
Indeed. The Astros have lost seven of their last eight games and have seen their lead over the Mariners in the American League West shrink to three games. They’ll send All-Star right-hander Hunter Brown to the mound in Sunday’s series finale to try to get back on track.
“We are still in first place,” utility man Mauricio Dubón said. “That’s the thing. We control our own destiny. It’s a matter of going out there and just trying to win ballgames, a game at a time. We lost today. [Forget] it. We’re going to come in tomorrow and try to win.”
The Astros currently have 15 players on the injured list, including Alvarez, who’s been out since May 2 with a broken hand; Peña, who’s been out since June 27 with a broken rib; and Meyers, who’s been out since July 9 with a right calf strain.
Paredes had started 16 consecutive games in the leadoff spot since Peña was injured. He was hitting .306 (19-for-62) since moving to the leadoff spot June 28, so Espada may have to move Jose Altuve back to the leadoff spot.
“We have to turn the page, which we do really well,” Espada said. “We have to flush that one out and get ready for tomorrow.”
With Alvarez, Peña and Meyers out, the Astros have called up well-traveled veterans such as Zack Short, Cooper Hummel and Taylor Trammel to make starts, as well as calling up top prospect Brice Matthews last week to take over as the starter at second base. More roster movers are likely coming Sunday.
Another of the Astros’ top prospects, outfielder Jacob Melton, has been out more than a month with a sprained right ankle, infielder/outfielder Zach Dezenzo has been out since June 1 with a left hand capsule strain and second baseman Brendan Rodgers has been out since June 15 with a left oblique strain.
Rodgers was returned from his rehab assignment Saturday following a collision in the third inning of Friday night’s game at Triple-A Sugar Land. He was diagnosed with a concussion and a nasal fracture, and will get further evaluation in the next few days.
But replacing Paredes will be very difficult.
“It’s unfortunate but it’s the cards we’ve dealt with,” Dubón said. “Just go out there and try to win ballgames.”