HOUSTON — Astros third baseman Alex Bregman is unlikely to play this weekend with what he described as swelling in his right elbow.
Bregman underwent an MRI that he said showed “no damage of any ligaments or anything like that.”
“It’s just something I’m going to have to take a few days for,” Bregman said. “Obviously it’s pretty unfortunate because I’m swinging the bat well right now.”
Bregman said he slept on his arm awkwardly “a few days ago” and “just kind of played through it.”
That the Astros did not place Bregman on the injured list Friday further suggests it will be a short-term injury. Bregman said he “hasn’t really felt it that much during baseball activity, more so elsewhere.”
“It’s not that I couldn’t play through it anymore, it’s just that I need to nip it in the bud,” Bregman said.
Bregman, a pending free agent playing in his platform year, has authored a total turnaround after an abysmal first two months.
Since May 13, Bregman has raised his OPS from .534 to .764, a 79-game stretch in which he’s slashing .288/.340/.526 across 350 plate appearances. According to FanGraphs, Bregman has been worth 3.4 wins above replacement during that streak. Among third basemen, only José Ramírez and Matt Chapman have been more valuable.
Bregman homered in four consecutive games during Houston’s last nine-game road trip, a journey in which he went 16-for-41 and claimed co-American League Player of the Week honors alongside teammate Yordan Alvarez.
Houston called up prospect Shay Whitcomb to offer coverage at third base in Bregman’s absence.
(Photo of Bregman celebrating with Alvarez after hitting a home run on Aug. 13: Julio Aguilar / Getty Images)