PHOENIX -- The Astros will be without All-Star third baseman Isaac Paredes for a while after he suffered what manager Joe Espada on Tuesday called a “pretty significant injury” to his right hamstring, suffered while Paredes was running to first base Sunday.
Paredes was placed on the 10-day injured list Sunday and headed to Houston 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 Espada, who said after the game that the injury “doesn’t look very good.”
“We are waiting on some results, but it’s definitely something that’s going to keep him out for a while,” Espada said.
Rookie Shay Whitcomb started at third base Sunday, and Mauricio Dubón started at third Monday and Tuesday against the D-backs.
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 just feel like it pulled as I started running and I couldn’t run anymore,” Paredes said.
The loss of Paredes is 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. “He’s tough. That’s super unfortunate, but that being said, we’ve got to find a way to win anyway.”
With Paredes sidelined and pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. landing on the injured list Tuesday with a blister, the Astros have 17 players on the IL, 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.
“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.
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 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.”