Houston Astros Injury Rumors 2016: Evan Gattis Undergoes Hernia Surgery, Out 4-6 Weeks
The Houston Astros are down another man after designated hitter Evan Gattis opted for a surgery to repair a sports hernia. The team announced that he went under the knife last Tuesday and is expected to be out of action for at least four weeks. However, he isn't expected to be out longer than six weeks, suggesting that he still will have enough time to join his team for the start of spring training.
Accordingly, the Astros said that he'll be staying at a team facility in Florida to be with the medical staff that will be providing him assistance in his rehabilitation.
Gattis played his first season in Houston last year, leading the team in home runs with 27. He also produced 88 RBIs, which along with the homers are both career high numbers. With him on board, Houston improved a lot, as a matter of fact, reaching the postseason for the first time in 10 years, the last time being in 2005.
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If rehabilitation moves forward without any issues, he is expected to be able to join the team for its full squad workout scheduled on the 23rd of this month. Although Gattis has a lot of potential in him, he hasn't been that lucky when it comes to dealing with injuries. In fact, this will be the third straight time that he won't be fully available for offseason training. Last spring, he injured his wrist, causing him to miss grounders at first base. He eventually was stripped off his duties as first baseman last year and was relegated to the role of designated hitter. He also played outfield in a couple of games.
The surgery may also cause him money since he is scheduled for salary arbitration hearing next week, where he is fighting the $3 million offer from Houston with his own offer of $3.8 million. It is however unclear if the surgery has any implications to the salary the arbiters will decide.
