Astros' Daulton Varsho Has Stunning Injury Update Revealed

Houston's centerfielder has surprisingly been dealing with a nagging injury.

Houston Astros center fielder Daulton Varsho (18) jogs off the field before the game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Houston Astros outfield has been an issue all season long, and the offensive production from that group has not been ideal.

Centerfielder Daulton Varsho was acquired at this year's trade deadline to help out with that even as a struggling hitter in 2026. The fact that he was an upgrade over what the previous situation was says a lot about the options available.

While he wasn't anything spectacular on offense, Varsho did chip in with a home run every now and then and also came up with a couple of big hits. He also provided reliable defense in center. As the Astros are in the thick of the American League West division race in the last week of the season to make the playoffs, Varsho hasn't been able to be on the field.

It was first revealed by Chandler Rome of The Athletic on Tuesday that Varsho has been dealing with a left wrist issue and was unavailable that night. Rome further revealed on Wednesday that Varsho in fact had two cysts on that wrist that had caused inflammation and discomfort every time he swings at pitches low in the strike zone.

The shocking part was that Varsho disclosed to Rome on Wednesday that he has been dealing with this for the past three months.

Varsho's Injury Situation

Houston Astros outfielder Daulton Varsho (18) reacts after hitting a single against the Philadelphia Phillies in the third inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

However, Varsho had been able to play through it up until now. It's gotten to a point to where he can't be in the lineup or contribute. Varsho last played on Saturday at Daikin Park against the Atlanta Braves where he went 0-for-3.

The trade deadline acquisition for Varsho was made on Aug. 3, which meant it must have been around just over a month with the wrist issue when the Astros made a deal to get him. 26-year-old right-handed starter Spencer Arrighetti was sent to the Toronto Blue Jays in return.

While Arrighetti has struggled in Toronto with a 6.35 ERA, the question remains whether the Astros knew the Varsho wasn't near 100 percent at the time of the trade.

Varsho had a .748 OPS with six homers and 20 RBI from the start of the season until June 20. He had a .256 average and .329 OBP. Since then, his OPS has gone down to .556. His average dropped to .194 with an OBP of .241. However, he still had seven home runs and 23 RBI in that span.

His overall decline in numbers do line up around the time when the injury occurred.

The 30-year-old Varsho has just a .535 OPS and .172 average, although he's still shown power with five homers in 41 games with the Astros so far. He just hasn't been getting on base enough.

This is still a big loss because rookie Lucas Spence is patrolling center at this point. The veteran Varsho would still be a much better option to have. Removing the cysts results in a month-long recovery. At the moment, Varsho has received multiple cortisone shots and will seek a second opinion soon, according to Rome.

It will be key to watch if he can still come back in the regular season.

Additionally, right-hander Cristian Javier is out until at least past the wild card round if the Astros were to make the postseason with a Grade 2 groin strain. Jeremy Peña was dealing with soreness on his right wrist and did not start on Wednesday. He did come in and pinch-run later.