Houston Astros place Castro on DL, recall Stassi from Fresno

The Houston Astros have placed catcher Jason Castro on the disabled list, the club announced on Saturday. The club has recalled catcher Max Stassi from AAA Fresno in a corresponding move.

Castro suffered a quad strain running after hitting a double against the Twins on Friday night. He was lifted for a pinch runner, and was evaluated this morning. The Astros originally said that Castro would avoid a DL stint, but evidently decided to change course.

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Stassi is with the team in Minnesota on Saturday, so the Astros won’t have to go with a short bench. Hank Conger will get the start, however, and bat eighth for Houston.

The Astros will miss Castro in the lineup and on the field, as he boasts a 1.2 offensive wins above replacement and a 1.2 defensive wins above replacement. While Conger doesn’t provide the same defensive value, he does have eight home runs and 21 RBIs to go with 21 walks in 168 plate appearances.

Stassi comes up after hitting an underwhelming .211 clip, but with 13 home runs. If he can manage to keep his average above the Mendoza line in the majors, he could slide in nicely as the club’s backup while Castro gets healthy. Evan Gattis also caught a bullpen session, indicating he would likely be ready to go if called upon to play behind the dish.

Next: A-Rod Not In Lineup For Yankees Saturday

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