Astros' Joey Loperfido has right hip surgery, spring training availability delayed
Joey Loperfido had arthroscopic surgery on his right hip to address a labral injury and impingement found after the season. The Astros say his availability for spring training will be delayed; no timeline was given.
Houston Astros outfielder Joey Loperfido underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right hip, and the procedure will push back his availability for spring training, the team announced Monday.
The surgery addressed "a labral injury and hip impingement that were identified shortly after the season ended," the Astros said, according to the Houston Chronicle. The club said Loperfido's "availability for spring training will be delayed" but did not give a timeline for his recovery.
MLB.com's Brian McTaggart relayed the announcement shortly after noon CT, writing that Loperfido "won't be ready for the start of the spring." Chandler Rome also posted the team's statement.
A stop-and-start 2026
Loperfido, whom the Astros re-acquired from Toronto in a trade last spring, was Houston's Opening Day left fielder. According to the Chronicle's Matt Kawahara, he played 20 games before going on the injured list with a right quad strain, missed roughly six weeks, and batted .136 over his next 19 games after returning in early June before being sent to Triple-A.
At Triple-A Sugar Land, he hit .289/.381/.392 in 60 games. The Astros recalled him for a brief stint in mid-September, when he appeared in one game, and carried him on their Wild Card Series roster against the White Sox, though he did not play in the series. Across 40 major league games in 2026, he hit .214/.311/.330, per MLB.com stats.
What it means for 2027
With no recovery timeline announced, Loperfido's status for the start of camp is unclear. Spring training itself could also be in question: baseball's collective bargaining agreement expires Dec. 1, and the Chronicle cites the likelihood of a lockout. A separate Chronicle roster analysis described Houston's "rotating cast of center fielders in 2026, with nobody seizing the position," so the club's 2027 outfield picture was already unsettled before Monday's news.
Around the MLB
Lindor wins Roberto Clemente Award. Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor was named the 2026 recipient of the Roberto Clemente Award presented by Capital One, MLB's top honor for a player's character, community involvement and philanthropy, MLB announced. He was set to receive it at Tropicana Field before Monday night's Game 3 of the World Series. Lindor, a four-time nominee, is the fifth recipient of Puerto Rican descent, joining Edgar Martínez (2004), Carlos Delgado (2006), Carlos Beltrán (2013) and Yadier Molina (2018). Capital One is donating $100,000 to SEEN Foundation in his honor. MLB.com cited his more than $1 million in donations since 2020 for Lindor Hall at his alma mater, Montverde Academy; disaster relief in Puerto Rico after Hurricanes Maria and Fiona; and "Lindor's Leaders," a new mentoring program for students in Bayside High School's sports medicine program.
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