Fansided

Evan Gattis Out 4-6 Weeks After Surgery

By Bill Pivetz

Aug 19, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Astros designated hitter Evan Gattis (11) hits an RBI single to tie the game during the ninth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 19, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Astros designated hitter Evan Gattis (11) hits an RBI single to tie the game during the ninth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

Evan Gattis will be out four to six weeks after undergoing surgery to repair a hernia. He’ll be out for Spring Training. What is his status for Opening Day?

The Houston Astros made big strides in being competitive in the American League West. They finished second in the division and made the playoffs for the first time since 2005. This season isn’t starting out great as they may be without their designated hitter for a few weeks. Evan Gattis underwent surgery for a hernia and will be out all of Spring Training. How does this affect his fantasy ranking and availability for Opening Day?

Last season began somewhat the same way. He missed some time in Spring Training and struggled in the first month of the season. He hit two home runs, nine RBI and .164 in the first 20 games. He finished the season with 27 HR/88 RBI/.246 in 153 games. He also hit a career-high 11 triples. He spent most of the season as the Astros’ DH, but played 11 games in left field.

More from FanSided

There are reports that Evan Gattis lost some weight in the offseason in an attempt to play more of the field, but the surgery eliminates that option. If Gattis were to miss signficant time, Colby Rasmus or Preston Tucker could pick up some DH time and Jake Marisnick will get time in the outfield. He made a similar attempt to play first base last season, but the missed time ended those conversations.

In his first year with the Astros, Gattis became a better all-around hitter. He had a 19.7 strikeout rate, best of his career, and did not chase many pitches outside of the strike zone. He had a 37.5 O-swing percentage compared to 41.7 percent in 2014. Though, he only had 30 walks, 5.0 walk rate which is below his career average. It didn’t affect his on-base percentage much as he finished with a respectable .285 OBP.

The missed time could give some of the young players an extended look in Spring Training. There are a couple of names that could make the Opening Day roster. Unfortunately one of them is not the highly touted A.J. Reed. Fellow FanSided blog, Climbing Tal’s Hill talked about some of the rookies that could make the roster on Opening Day.

However, I don’t think fantasy owners and Astros fan have anything to worry about. If all goes well, Evan Gattis should be back in time to play in about 10 Spring Training games and take the field on April 4 against the New York Yankees. If he does suffer a setback, it would increase the probability he begins the season on the disabled list.

Next: White Sox Sign Mat Latos

Evan Gattis begins the season with DH eligibility only. If he does plan on playing in the outfield, first base or catcher, his value would increase greatly. He would only need 10 games at each position to become in-season eligible. I do think he’ll get there with first base and outfield, but not catcher. He enters the season as my No. 4 DH, but could drop if he misses any regular season time. Until then, I will project his season as if he were healthy.

Projections: 125 hits, 26 home runs, 77 RBI, .250 average

Draft: Round 16

Home/Fantasy Baseball