Houston Astros Roster News, Latest Rumors: Evan Gattis Set to Rejoin Team After Hernia Surgery
It looks like Evan Gattis is finally going to be ready for the new season after the Houston Astros activated him from the 15-day disabled list. The 29-year old went under the knife this offseason in order to treat his sports hernia suffered back in February. The team is expected to name him as primary DH this year, provided he stays healthy this time.
In order to make room for him, the Astros have to put Matt Duffy on assignment to Triple-A Fresno and it really wasn't a difficult decision to make, considering Gattis' contribution in Houston is quite valued, especially after a strong performance last season. His contribution on the field is mostly from the offensive end, having hit 27 homers last season along with 88 RBIs. And while the recent surgery will definitely limit him a bit in the early part of the season, the team is hoping that he'll be able to emulate or even surpass his performance last season for them to have a fighting chance in the American League.
Before getting reactivated, Gattis went on to play six games as part of his rehab assignment with the Double-A Corpus Christi, per report from Scout.com. During this short stint, he managed to hit two homers and make four runs. For the Astros, that kind of performance in rehab assignment may have been his ticket to another chance in the major league.
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The 29-year old actually led his team last season in three categories; namely homers (25), triples (11) and RBIs (88). Because he officially is activated, the team expects him to be his usual self for them to move on and see some progress this season.
The versatile designated hitter actually played catcher during his stint with the Atlanta Braves back in 2013, but when the Astros took him in, he was primarily used for his hitting.
