Astros' Jake Odorizzi avoids season-ending injury, out indefinitely

Houston Astros pitcher Jake Odorizzi had to be stretchered off the field during Monday's start at the Boston Red Sox after he collapsed to the ground while attempting to cover first base in the game's fifth inning. 

Per The Associated Press (h/t ESPN), Odorizzi told reporters before Wednesday's series finale in Boston that an MRI on his left leg showed he's dealing with damage to tendons and ligaments but not an Achilles tear. The 32-year-old admitted he feared the worst because he heard a pop in his left ankle right before he went down. 

Odorizzi will rehab the injury and work toward pitching again later this year, but there's no set timetable for his return. He hit the injured list holding a 3-2 record and a 3.13 ERA posted across seven starts this season. 

"I think the stretcher made it worse than it actually was," Odorizzi explained. "It was just a quick, loud pop. I heard it and felt it, so I kind of thought it was the worst-case scenario."

He added that the imaging revealed "the best-case scenario" considering he wasn't shut down for the remainder of the campaign.

Houston began Wednesday at 24-13 and atop the American League West standings.