Houston Astros put Brice Matthews on injured list with knee inflammation
The outfielder is going back on the IL after being hurt in his second game back following a two-month absence.
The Houston Astros placed outfielder Brice Matthews on the 10-day injured list with knee inflammation, putting an end to his regular season. The decision was made on Wednesday, reducing the team's outfield options in the final week. To fill the gap, the Astros recalled Lucas Spence from Triple-A Sugar Land, who made his starting debut in center field for Wednesday's series finale against the Mariners.
Matthews suffered the knee injury while making a sliding catch during the Astros' 7-0 win over the Mariners on Tuesday. He had missed two months due to a left knee sprain sustained in the game before the All-Star break and made his second start since returning from the injured list on Saturday. Astros manager Joe Espada confirmed that Matthews does not have structural damage in his knee but noted the presence of some swelling and soreness.
With the 10-day minimum, Matthews is ineligible for a potential wild-card round playoff series next week. The Astros were tied atop the American League West with Texas at the time, with five games remaining in the season. Matthews started in center field on Tuesday night after Daulton Varsho, the team's trade deadline addition, was sidelined by a left wrist issue.
Varsho missed three consecutive games on Wednesday, prompting the Astros to recall Spence as a center-field option. Matthews, the Astros' first-round draft pick in 2023, had a .201/.255/.332 slash line and a 66 OPS in 84 major-league games this year.
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