Astros' Aledmys Diaz out six to eight weeks with fractured hand

Astros utilityman Aledmys Díaz will miss six to eight weeks after X-rays revealed he fractured his left hand in Saturday night’s loss to the Blue Jays, manager Dusty Baker told reporters, including Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. Díaz was injured when he was hit by a Ross Stripling pitch.

Losing Díaz for the foreseeable future is a difficult blow, considering he’s off to a very strong start at the plate. The 30-year-old is hitting .278/.341/.435 with three homers across 126 plate appearances this year. That’s his best work since his stellar 2016 rookie campaign with the Cardinals. Díaz has also continued to serve in a super-sub role, starting multiple games at all four infield positions and in left field.

With Díaz inevitably ticketed for the injured list, Houston figures to turn to Robel García as their top utility option off the bench in the coming weeks. Abraham Toro is off to a good start with Triple-A Sugar Land and is already on the 40-man roster, so he could be an option if the Astros want to add some more infield help.

For now, however, the team is planning to fill Díaz’s active roster spot by activating outfielder Michael Brantley from the injured list before their upcoming series in Boston, McTaggart notes. Brantley, who went on the 10-day IL on May 28 due to hamstring tightness, is off to his customary strong start. One of the game’s most consistent hitters, Brantley has put up a .305/.346/.455 line to this point in the season.