The Houston Astros announced Saturday afternoon that first baseman Yuli Gurriel sustained a knee injury and will be taken off the club’s World Series roster for the final two games of the 2022 Major League Baseball postseason.
Gurriel will be replaced by catcher Corey Lee.
Gurriel exited game five of the World Series Thursday night after he collided with Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Rhys Hoskins during a rundown.
Gurriel, a 2021 American League Gold Glove first baseman, will be missed by the Astros as they attempt to win their first World Series title since 2017, and their second championship in franchise history.
Gurriel has led the Astros in batting average this postseason (.347), and has a .360 on base percentage and .850 OPS.
After losing one of their best hitters and a premium fielder, the Astros will need to shuffle their lineup a bit.
Trey Mancini, who the Astros acquired from the Baltimore Orioles prior to the Aug. 2 trade deadline, will start at first base and bat seventh in the club’s batting order Saturday night.
Catcher Christian Vazquez will step into the club’s designated hitter spot, a position in which the Astros have lacked production out of this postseason. Vazquez received a start behind the plate, catching Cristian Javier in game five of the World Series Wednesday night, in which he went 1-for-3.
With Vazquez occupying the DH spot Saturday night, the Astros added another catcher to their World Series roster, calling upon 24-year-old rookie Korey Lee.
Lee slashed .160/.192/.432 with four RBI through 12 career big league games, all of which came in 2022.
Martin Maldonado will continue to start behind the plate, but Lee could be used off the bench, if needed, in game six or game seven.
The Astros will need somebody to step up, in order to replace Gurriel’s production this postseason and win one more game, to take home another World Series trophy.
On the latest episode of the Jack Vita Show, former MLB outfielder Mike Huff broke down the first five games of the World Series, and previewed game six and game seven.
Subscribe to the Jack Vita Show on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Amazon | iHeartRadio | Stitcher | Pandora | TuneIn | Listen Notes | Podtail | Podchaser | Hubhopper | Audio junkie | Himalaya | Podcast Addict | Available wherever podcasts are found.
For more from Jack Vita, follow him on Twitter @JackVitaShow, and subscribe to his podcast, the Jack Vita Show, available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, Facebook, Amazon, iHeartRadio, and wherever podcasts are found.
