HOUSTON — Astros first baseman Yuli Gurriel, who exited Game 5 of the World Sequence early with a proper knee damage, was taken off the group’s roster as a consequence of a proper MCL sprain and was changed by rookie catcher Korey Lee. Houston supervisor Dusty Baker mentioned Gurriel ran on the sphere earlier Saturday to check his knee.
Dr. Gary Inexperienced, Main League Baseball’s medical director, confirmed the damage after speaking with the evaluating doctor. MLB postseason guidelines present {that a} group might request permission from the Commissioner’s Workplace to interchange a participant who’s unable to play due to an damage.
“[Gurriel] tried the whole lot,” Baker mentioned. “He got here in yesterday and received therapy, got here on this morning and received therapy and didn’t reply properly sufficient to play. He tried to run, and from a man who had knee accidents, the toughest factor to do is to cease after which to around the bases and have lateral motion. He tried the whole lot. He wasn’t crying, however he had tears in his eyes. You can inform how badly he needed to play. He simply couldn’t do it, and we needed to substitute him.”
With a 3rd catcher on their roster, the Astros began Christian Vázquez at designated hitter in Recreation 6, with Martín Maldonado behind the plate. Lee, who hit .160 in 12 video games for Houston this yr, was on the membership’s playoff taxi squad. Baker mentioned he’s thought of hitting Vázquez at DH many occasions this yr. He did it solely as soon as as a result of he didn’t wish to take the possibility of one of many two catchers getting injured.
“No. 1, he’s a contact man,” Baker mentioned of Vázquez. “I can do lots of issues with him. I did that one time as an experiment to see. I had needed to do it a few occasions, however I didn’t wish to need to essentially, in case one thing occurred to Maldy … I actually didn’t wish to put my group able the place I used to be going to lose [the] DH and put a pitcher in there and hit for the pitcher and revert again to my Nationwide League days with solely a four-man bench.”
Gurriel injured his knee within the seventh inning in Recreation 5 when he was tagged awkwardly by Phillies first baseman Rhys Hoskins throughout a rundown. The damage adopted the top of Gurriel’s spectacular string of 48 consecutive plate appearances with no strikeout this postseason, which ended within the fourth inning when he fanned in opposition to Connor Brogdon.
Gurriel, who caught the ultimate out in Recreation 7 to clinch the 2017 World Sequence win over the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium, was hitting .347 (17-for-49) with two homers and 4 RBIs within the postseason, together with 6-for-19 with one RBI within the World Sequence. Trey Mancini changed him at first base in Recreation 5 and made a stellar play to snag a Kyle Schwarber line drive at first base.
“Yuli’s been certainly one of our greatest hitters within the postseason, so clearly, it stinks not having him,” heart fielder Chas McCormick mentioned. “However we have now guys that know their position, and we’re assured in anyone who’s going to be in that lineup. We have now lots of good hitters on this group.”
Astros Recreation 6 starter Framber Valdez has the very best price of floor balls in MLB and Gurriel is a superb defender, having gained a Gold Glove Award final yr. So it stands to purpose there shall be loads of possibilities for Mancini at first base. Baker mentioned Mancini is at first as a result of he has probably the most expertise on the place.
“It’s Mancini’s time to shine,” Baker mentioned.
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