Injuries & Moves: Gamel (leg fracture) lands on IL

Injuries & Moves: Gamel (leg fracture) lands on IL

12:34 AM UTC

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Sept. 17: OF (fibula fracture) placed on injured list; C César Salazar recalled from Triple-A Sugar Land.
Gamel, who was removed from the Astros' victory on Saturday after he made a running catch in the right-field corner and ran into the wall at Angel Stadium, was placed on the 10-day injured list after the Astros' loss to the Padres on Monday in San Diego. The club announced on Tuesday that he has a left fibula fracture and will be out indefinitely.

The Astros plucked Gamel off waivers a month ago from the Mets. He started 14 games in right field -- most of which came while Kyle Tucker was recovering from his shin fracture -- and he made four starts in left field.

"Very disappointing," Astros manager Joe Espada said. "He did a nice job for us. We were really expecting him to be OK in a couple of days, but that's not going to be the case."

This will be Salazar's third stint with the Astros this year. He entered Tuesday with a .304 batting average in 10 games, plus a 5-for-10 performance with runners in scoring position. He had a .788 OPS with eight homers in 78 games at Triple-A this year.

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10-DAY/15-DAY INJURED LIST

OF (left fibula fracture)
Expected return: TBA
Gamel, who was claimed off waivers Aug. 20 from the Mets, was 15-for-58 (.259) for the Astros with one home run in 20 games. He banged into the wall in Anaheim on Sept. 14, sending him to the IL a couple of days later. (Last updated: Sept. 17)

OF (left knee contusion)
Expected return: End of September
McCormick said he should be able to return to the active roster before the end of the season. His injury, sustained Sept. 10 when he ran into the wall while chasing a foul ball in Houston, is a small fracture and didn't require any surgery or a cast. McCormick said the fracture is on a bone just below his index finger. Before the injury, McCormick started seven games in a row and was 9-for-23. He appeared to have found his swing after struggling for much of the year and briefly being optioned to Triple-A. (Last updated: Sept. 14)

60-DAY INJURED LIST

RHP (right shoulder labral surgery)
Expected return: 2025
Graveman, acquired by the Astros for the second time at last year’s Trade Deadline, is throwing bullpens and progressing well in his rehab. Graveman posted a 2.42 ERA in 23 appearances for Houston last August and September, but he didn’t pitch in the playoffs because of right shoulder discomfort. He underwent surgery in January to repair a torn labrum and clean out his rotator cuff. (Last updated: Sept. 8)

RHP (right elbow surgery)
Expected return: TBD
Murfee has been shut down after throwing 19 pitches (12 strikes) while starting for Single-A Fayetteville in his Minor League rehab game on Aug. 15 at Augusta. He allowed four runs on three hits and one walk with one strikeout in one-third of an inning, but he came down with a sore arm and was shut down for a couple days as a result.

Murfee, who was claimed off waivers on March 27 from the Braves, last pitched in the big leagues for the Mariners in 2023, posting a 1.29 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP with 16 strikeouts in 14 innings. As a rookie in '22, he appeared in 64 games for Seattle and posted a 2.99 ERA and a 0.95 WHIP. (Last updated: Aug. 29)

RHP (right shoulder surgery)
Expected Return: 2025
France was placed on the 60-day injured list on Aug. 20 to make room on the 40-day roster for waiver claim Ben Gamel. France had season-ending surgery on July 1 to repair a torn right shoulder capsule. He went 0-3 with a 7.46 ERA in five starts for Houston this season before being optioned to Triple-A Sugar Land on April 26. He was placed on the 7-day injured list after one start with Sugar Land and was shut down on April 30. France went 11-6 with a 3.83 ERA during his 2023 rookie season in Houston. (Last updated: Aug. 20)

RHP Luis Garcia (Tommy John surgery)
Expected return: 2025
Garcia will not return in 2024, manager Joe Espada said Aug. 19. Garcia was expected to begin throwing again the weekend of Aug. 24-25. The right-hander suffered a setback when he showed up at the ballpark on Aug. 2 with a sore elbow, but additional tests showed no structural damage. Still, he hasn't thrown since he last threw 30 pitches in two simulated innings on the mound at Minute Maid Park on July 30 and said he felt good.

Garcia had Tommy John surgery early in the 2023 season. He has been a workhorse starter for the Astros in previous years. (Last updated: Aug. 19)

RHP (right forearm surgery)
Expected return: 2025
McCullers will miss the remainder of the regular season, manager Joe Espada said on Aug. 4. McCullers had progressed to the point of throwing in the bullpen in late June before the Astros shut him down.

The right-hander had surgery in June 2023 to repair his right flexor tendon and remove a bone spur, but was hoping to return to the mound for the Astros at the end of this season. He had progressed to throwing bullpens at Minute Maid Park, but was pulled off his rehab in July and sought a second opinion from doctors. Espada said there was no structural damage to his elbow, but there has been no reason given for the latest setback.

“Where he’s at right now, I think it’s safe to say I don’t think he’ll pitch this season,” Espada said. “It would be almost too much to ask him to ramp up and get him back this season. Everything is moving in the right direction, but with the number of games [remaining], that’s where we’re at.” (Last updated: Aug. 4)

RHP (right elbow surgery)
Expected return: 2025
Ortega on June 26 underwent a second surgery in a span of a few months. He had a bone spur removed, putting him out for the rest of the season. Ortega, who has yet to pitch for the Astros in the regular season, had surgery in March to remove loose bodies in his right elbow. He joined the Astros after being claimed off waivers from the Twins on Oct. 25 and appeared in two Grapefruit League games. (Last updated: June 28)

RHP (Tommy John surgery)
Expected return: 2025
Javier underwent Tommy John surgery on June 6, ending his 2024 season. He was unable to throw a scheduled bullpen session due to right forearm discomfort and was placed on the IL on May 27 for the second time this season. He was previously on the IL from April 21 to May 11 with neck discomfort.

The right-hander was 3-1 with a 3.89 ERA in seven starts with the Astros this year, including three quality starts. Javier was moved to the 60-day IL on June 16. (Last updated: June 16)

RHP (Tommy John surgery)
Expected return: 2025
Urquidy underwent Tommy John surgery on June 5. He was pulled out of his May 24 rehab start at Triple-A after experiencing right forearm inflammation. (Last updated: June 7)

LHP (left shoulder inflammation)
Expected return: 2025
Sousa was headed toward a spot on Houston's Opening Day roster before what he described as an inflamed nerve sent him to the IL to begin the season. Sousa said he experienced some numbness and soreness in his hand and "tried to grind through it."

Sousa underwent surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome on April 3 and was shut down for the season. (Last updated: April 6)

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