Houston Astros first baseman Christian Walker was scratched from the lineup before Wednesday’s 6-5 walk-off win against the St. Louis Cardinals due to left oblique soreness. Walker informed manager Joe Espada about feeling tightness in his oblique muscle, which he noticed earlier in the batting cages. On Thursday, Walker underwent an ultrasound on his left oblique and is now awaiting the inflammation to subside before further assessments are made, according to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com.
Walker appeared in four Grapefruit League games this spring, going 4-for-8 with three doubles and two walks. Zach Dezenzo, ranked as Houston’s No. 5 prospect by MLB Pipeline, and backup catcher Victor Caratini can also play first base.
“I’m a little familiar with oblique stuff, so once I felt that, I tried to just not push it given the time of the year and the timeframe and all that,” Walker said to Matt Young of the Houston Chronicle.
Christian Walker Awaits Further Imaging After Ultrasound
Adding a first baseman was a priority for the Astros over the offseason after struggling veteran José Abreu was released less than halfway through a three-year, $58.5 million contract. The Astros signed 33-year-old Walker to a three-year, $60 million contract in December. Last season, he missed a month with the Arizona Diamondbacks due to a left oblique strain, leaving a July 2023 game and returning on September 3. Despite the injury, Walker finished the season with 26 home runs and 84 RBI in 130 games.
Over the past three seasons, he’s quietly established himself as one of the game’s top first basemen, pairing strong production at the plate with spectacular glove work. He has won three consecutive National League Gold Gloves at first base. Walker also had two separate stints on the injured list in 2021 due to a strained right oblique. However, he played 160 games in 2022 and 157 in 2023, hitting 69 home runs and driving in 197 RBI over those two seasons.
Walker ranks fifth among primary first basemen with 11.4 bWAR since the start of 2022, recording 95 home runs, 28 doubles, and an .813 OPS. He also led the position with 38 outs above average during that span.
Main Photo: © Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
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