Houston Astros infielder Aledmys Díaz exited Tuesday's contest with the Chicago White Sox at the end of the third inning with left-groin discomfort after running down a Yasmani Grandal flyball near the left field wall. Manager Dusty Baker said postgame Díaz could be placed on the injured list, per Brian McTaggart of MLB.com.
According to the report, Díaz hopes to ride out the discomfort and be available in the coming days without hitting the shelf. In the absense of the injured Michael Brantley, Díaz has been superb depth, picking up most of the left field starts since late June.
On the 40-man roster, Niko Goodrum makes the best case defensively to replace Díaz, if needed, given his numerous outlets on the field. The 30-year-old has played first base and second base this season in the Major Leagues but has stretched to all nine positions in his career.
But since he was activated from the 7-day injured list Thursday, Goodrum has appeared in one game and wasn't on the roster sheet Tuesday nor in Sugar Land's dugout. Goodrum was on the injured list for nearly two months with hamstring discomfort.
If the Astros look for more versatility off the 40-man roster, David Hensley provides the best case. Hensley has started at all four infield positions and left field while sporting above-average numbers offensively for the Space Cowboys.
More must-reads: