Astros Place Daulton Varsho on IL After He Played Through Wrist Cysts for Three Months

The Houston Astros just placed center fielder Daulton Varsho on the injured list, which is bad news for their playoff push but even wilder when you realize he has been swinging a major-league bat with two cysts in his wrist for three months.

Hiding an injury until the final week of the season is the kind of old-school baseball toughness that sounds great in a documentary but looks terrible on a medical chart. Now, right in the thick of the American League West race, Houston is suddenly down the exact guy they traded for to fix their outfield.

"Reporting from The Athletic revealed Varsho has been dealing with the cysts for three months, causing inflammation on low pitches."

The Astros acquired Varsho at the deadline because their outfield production was a complete black hole. He was not exactly putting up MVP numbers, but he provided reliable defense and occasional pop. It turns out, according to reporting from The Athletic, every time he swung at a low pitch, those cysts caused massive inflammation.

For anyone holding an Astros division futures ticket, this is the part of the movie where the wheels start wobbling. Houston just wrapped up a tight series with the Seattle Mariners and is already dealing with a crowded trainer room. Pitcher Cristian Javier is done for the year with a groin strain, and fellow outfielders Brice Matthews and Jake Meyers are also on the shelf.

Trying to patch together a playoff outfield in late September is like trying to buy a last-minute flight on a holiday weekend. You are going to pay a premium, and you are probably going to end up in a middle seat next to the bathroom.

The Astros head to Oakland next to try and lock up the division against the Athletics. As for Varsho, his postseason availability is a massive question mark, proving once again that playing through pain usually just guarantees you will be watching the most important games in sweatpants.