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Astros GM Dana Brown says Isaac Paredes' injury is ‘more severe than we projected'
HOUSTON — The right hamstring strain suffered by Houston Astros All-Star third baseman Isaac Paredes 'is a little bit more severe than we projected,' general manager Dana Brown said on Sunday afternoon, accentuating the team's need for more offense at Thursday's trade deadline.
Brown said Paredes is seeking a second opinion and the team should know more about his prognosis within the week. Paredes has not been spotted at Daikin Park since he suffered the injury on July 19 against the Seattle Mariners.
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'It's tough to be optimistic when you know it's more severe,' Brown told the team's pregame radio show on Sunday.
Paredes is one of a major-league high nine Astros position players currently on the injured list. Five of them, including Paredes, were in Houston's Opening Day lineup.
Paredes has perhaps the most serious injury of that quintet. Brown's comments on Sunday must prompt serious concern whether Paredes will return this season — a reality that could alter Brown's approach as Thursday's trade deadline approaches.
Earlier this week, Brown said the team is 'prioritizing the bats' while also remaining in the market for a starting pitcher. Acquiring both would be an ideal deadline, but Houston's lack of top-end prospect capital will make it difficult to win any bidding wars against other buyers.
Few available players would be able to offset Paredes' absence. The pull-happy third baseman leads the Astros' lineup with 19 home runs and trails only injured shortstop Jeremy Peña for the team lead in both on-base percentage and slugging percentage.
'We're still looking for a left-handed bat, so that didn't change,' Brown told the team's pregame radio show on Sunday. 'If it's an infielder, great. If it's an outfielder, we'll take that as well. It really didn't change much, it's just more of a preference to be an infielder now.'
Utilityman Mauricio Dubón has started six of the Astros' eight games at third base since Paredes' injury. Second base also remains in flux after Jose Altuve accepted a position change to left field this winter, though Brown has intimated the club could move Altuve back to second base if it acquires an outfielder at the deadline.
