Houston Astros Top Prospect, Notable Offseason Addition Both Dealing With Injuries

Two Houston Astros outfielders have picked up injuries during camp, one of them being a top prospect and another a notable offseason addition.

Aug 3, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros center fielder Pedro Leon (4) runs down the first baseline and turns first base against the Tampa Bay Rays in the third inning at Minute Maid Park | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

Spring training contests are underway for every team around the league, and that gives the Houston Astros an opportunity to see how their new lineup and defensive positioning is going to look during a game setting.

It also gives players an opportunity to make a name for themselves and show the organization they should be in the mix going forward.

Unfortunately, two players who were looking to do just that have picked up injuries.

Per Chandler Rome of The Athletic, Pedro Leon is dealing with what is being described as "left knee discomfort." On a more severe note, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reported that manager Joe Espada stated offseason addition Taylor Trammell suffered a "pretty significant" calf strain.

The latter news is likely more impactful.

While the Astros already seem committed to playing Jose Altuve in left field this season, Trammell was brought in via trade to boost this outfield group, something that is the weakness of this roster on paper.

If he is out for an extended period of time, that greatly reduces the options Houston can deploy during the early portion of the campaign when they try to figure out their best four.

As far as Leon goes, this will be something to monitor.

When he signed as an international free agent in 2021, he immediately was considered the Astros' second-best prospect, staying in the top 10 until this past season where he dropped to No. 22. That largely is because he hasn't quite lived up to expectations despite showcasing power in the minors with 17 home runs at Triple-A in 2022 and 21 the following campaign.

Leon made his Major League debut last year, getting into seven games from Aug. 3-18, but he went 2-for-20 during that time and was optioned back down to the minors.

This spring, the now-26-year-old was looking to put his name in the mix for a spot in the outfield.

With Trammell going down with an injury, that could leave an opening for Leon if he is able to recover from his own injury and put together a strong showing during camp.