Houston Astros third baseman Isaac Paredes has opted to forgo season-ending surgery on his strained right hamstring and instead will rehab the injury in an effort to return this season, general manager Dana Brown told reporters Monday.
The 26-year-old Paredes, who is hitting .259 with 19 home runs and 50 RBIs this season, was placed on the injured list on July 20 after he was hurt while running to first base. Brown said the injury was "severe."
Paredes has received a platelet-rich plasma injection and has had multiple rounds of imaging. His rehab stint, which will mostly take place in Houston around the team, will begin after a "long period" of letting the hamstring rest before beginning any sort of exercise, Brown said.
If Paredes undergoes surgery, he likely wouldn't be able to return for at least six months.
"His whole opinion on this is, he wants to work hard to try to get back this season," Brown said Monday. "Of course, he's going to dedicate himself to getting back."
The Astros were proactive at the trade deadline, acquiring infielder Carlos Correa from the Minnesota Twins. Correa, a Rookie of the Year and two-time All-Star in his prior stint with the Astros, has agreed to move from shortstop to third base while Paredes is out of the lineup.
The Astros (63-50) lead the AL West with around 50 games remaining in the regular season.
"He's doing well and he's working hard," Astros manager Joe Espada said of Paredes. "He's in good spirits, and I know he would rather be on the field. We hope for the best."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
