Houston Astros outfielder Daulton Varsho underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left wrist Tuesday and will not play again this season, the team announced Wednesday. The procedure rules Varsho out for the remainder of the Astros’ American League Wild Card series against the Chicago White Sox and any potential postseason run.
Varsho, 30, was already sidelined before the surgery. He was placed on the injured list last week with what the team called “wrist inflammation,” according to the Houston Chronicle. He was left off Houston’s active roster for the wild-card series entirely.
What the team and Varsho said
Varsho said his wrist issues began three months before joining Houston, according to the Chronicle. The cysts caused pain and inflammation that hampered his ability to swing. He said cysts in his wrist were causing pain and inflammation that affected his swing, and that surgery was “on the table,” per the Chronicle.
Being on the 10-day injured list meant Varsho remained technically eligible for later playoff rounds if Houston advanced, but Tuesday’s surgery ended that possibility. Tuesday’s surgery closed that door.
Who replaces him in center field
The Astros initially replaced Varsho with Brice Matthews, who also ended up on the injured list, according to ESPN. Lucas Spence started in center field in Houston’s Game 1 loss to the White Sox and is projected to start again in Game 2.
Season and career context
Houston acquired Varsho from the Toronto Blue Jays at the trade deadline in exchange for pitcher Spencer Arrighetti, the club’s lone deadline addition. He struggled offensively down the stretch, hitting .172 with a .535 OPS and five home runs in 41 games for the Astros. His defense, however, was viewed as a significant upgrade in center field; Varsho won a Gold Glove in 2024 and brought playoff experience from Toronto’s run to within one win of a World Series title last season.
For his career, Varsho owns a .226/.293/.416 line across seven major league seasons with Arizona, Toronto and Houston. He has one year of arbitration eligibility remaining and is slated to become a free agent this offseason.
What’s next
The Astros face the White Sox in Game 2 of their wild-card series Wednesday after losing Game 1, 6-3. A potential Game 3, if necessary, would be played Thursday. No timetable for Varsho’s offseason recovery has been announced.
Reporting from ESPN and Houstonchronicle contributed to this story.
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