Astros Injury News: Springer day-to-day, Sanchez out for season

George Springer is day-to-day after his hard fall in Tuesday’s game, while Aaron Sanchez is done for the season.

Astros GM Jeff Luhnow provided some updates on injured players George Springer and Aaron Sanchez. Springer, who crashed into the outfield wall on Tuesday in Milwaukee, was diagnosed with a mild concussion. Sanchez is set to have shoulder surgery and is done for the season.

This is fairly good news for Springer, as it doesn’t look like this will require a lengthy absence. He will be out for a few days at least, but the hope is for him to return early next week. The Astros can ill afford to be without him in the postseason, but it looks like he should have plenty of time to get back into a rhythm before then.

The news was not so good for Sanchez, however. He was removed from his last start due to decreased velocity believed to be related to a sore pectoral muscle. Now, it seems, he has a shoulder issue that will require surgery.

Details on the surgery itself or how long Sanchez will be sidelined are scant. Luhnow said the team will know more next week once the procedure is complete. All we know at this point is that Sanchez’s season is most certainly finished.

He ends his Astros season with a 2-0 record and 4.82 ERA across four starts, the most notable being the combined no-hitter in early August. Assuming the recovery time does not extend into next season, Sanchez will be penciled in to the team’s rotation in 2020.

This probably doesn’t affect the team’s postseason plans too much, as it seemed less and less likely that Sanchez would be on the roster. Even if he avoided surgery, the Astros would have no need for a fifth starter and might only have been able to use him in long relief.

Now he can focus on getting ready for next season, and the Astros can focus on unlocking the potential they saw when they traded for him at the trade deadline.