Astros Move Joey Loperfido to Injured List in Latest Roster Move

The Houston Astros can’t escape the injury bug. Joey Loperfido is the latest victim.

The Astros moved the outfielder to the 10-day injured list with a left quad strain, the team announced on Sunday. He had an MRI on Saturday and manager Joe Espada hinted that Loperfido might need time on the IL.

The Astros claimed outfielder Dustin Harris off waivers on Saturday from the Chicago White Sox and have already placed him on the 26-man roster. Houston designated pitcher J.P. France for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster.

In a corresponding move, the Astros promoted pitcher Jayden Murray from Triple-A Sugar Land to take the final spot on the 26-man roster.

Houston was clearly expecting some bad news on Loperfido and found some coverage. But he is the third Astros outfielder to land on the IL this season.

Houston’s Outfield Woes

Chicago White Sox right fielder Dustin Harris swings his bat at a baseball. — Chicago White Sox right fielder Dustin Harris. | Matt Marton-Imagn Images

If it weren’t for the volume of pitching injuries for Houston, the outfield injuries would be the talk of the season. Harris wasn’t in the starting lineup on Sunday. The Astros went with Cam Smith in right field, Taylor Trammell in center field and Shay Whitcomb in left field. Harris is the only back-up outfielder on Sunday. The other backups are Yordan Alvarez and Jose Altuve, but Houston would rather keep the pair at DH and second base, respectively.

How long Harris remains with the team is unclear. The Astros could get a reinforcement next week. Infielder/outfielder Zach Dezenzo (right elbow strain) might be the closest to returning. He started a rehab assignment on Saturday and has seven days to ramp up before he must be called up. Also, on the 10-day IL is outfielder Jake Meyers (Grade 2 right oblique strain). He has not begun a rehab assignment.

Harris was slashing .250/.438/.333 in six games when the White Sox designated him for assignment earlier his week. He’s familiar with Houston. He spent the bulk of his time in the Texas Rangers organization but could not hold down a full-time job after he made his debut in 2024. The Rangers already had several center fielders. In 21 MLB games he slashed .224/.318/.414 with two home runs and six RBI. He’s a solid defender and figures to be a late-inning replacement when he doesn’t start.

Loperfido is just the latest Astros player to head to the injured list. Few teams have had to use the IL so much this early in the season. Along with Dezenzo and Meyers, shortstop Jeremy Peña (Grade 1 hamstring strain) is eligible to return next week, though it’s not clear if he will.

Several Houston pitchers are on the 15-day IL including left-hander Bennett Sousa (left oblique strain), right-hander Nate Pearson (right elbow surgery recovery), right-hander Cody Bolton (mid-back inflammation), right-hander Tatsuya Imai (right arm fatigue), right-hander Cristian Javier (Grade 2 right shoulder strain) and right-hander Hunter Brown (Grade 2 right shoulder strain).

Pitchers on the 60-day IL include left-hander Josh Hader (left biceps tendinitis), right-hander Ronel Blanco (torn UCL), right-hander Hayden Wesneski (torn UCL) and left-hander Brandon Walter (torn UCL). Hader, Blanco and Wesneski are all options later this season but are not eligible to return until late May at the earliest.

Add us as a preferred source on Google