Jed Lowrie Injury: Updates on Astros Shortstop's Thumb and Return

The Houston Astros placed shortstop Jed Lowrie on the disabled list with a torn ligament in his thumb. He will be out until after the All-Star Game.

Continue for updates.

Astros Place Lowrie on Disabled List

Tuesday, April 28

The team’s official Twitter account noted Tuesday that Lowrie is headed to the disabled list with the torn ligament and infielder Jonathan Villar will take his place on the roster. The team also provided some information on Lowrie's recovery process:

He discussed the injury, via Brian McTaggart of MLB.com:

We are playing well, I was playing well. I think that makes it even more difficult to swallow. Given the way it blew up as far as getting swollen as quickly as it did, I figured something was going on. When I talked to the doc he wanted me to get home and relax and get hydrated and get some good food before we did surgery.

Lowrie posted a .300 batting average with four home runs and 10 RBI in his first 60 at-bats of the 2015 campaign. He hit only six home runs all season in 2014, so this trip to the disabled list was unfortunate timing for someone who tapped back into his power in the early going. 

Houston sits in first place in the American League West and will need someone to replace Lowrie’s production in the lineup if it hopes to stay there. The versatile infielder Villar can play a number of different positions if needed, which helps with matchups, but prospect Carlos Correa comes to mind as a potential long-term solution.

Correa is only 20 years old and likely needs some time before reaching the Major League level, but Ben Badler of Baseball America and Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle pointed out how effective Correa has been in the minors thus far:

Correa will be the long-term answer at shortstop for the Astros for years to come if he reaches his potential, but the team likely won’t call him up before he is completely ready. As difficult as it is to lose Lowrie this early in the season, Correa’s development is more important for the franchise's future.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com