The Astros announced Wednesday that outfielder Daulton Varsho underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left wrist. He suffered from a pair of cysts on his wrist, which had become increasingly uncomfortable as the latter part of the season drew to a close. Varsho finished the season on the injured list and wasn’t on the Wild Card list anyway, but his season is over whether Houston advances or not.
Houston opened the Wild Card round of play with Yordan Alvarez, Joey Loperfido, Cam Smith, Lucas Spence, Taylor Trammel And Nelson Velázquez like their outfield options. If they had moved forward and Varsho’s wrist had improved, he might have jumped into this group and added some experience to an outfield that is sorely lacking in it.
The Astros acquired Varsho, 30, at the trade deadline, sending the right-hander Spencer Arrighetti back to the Blue Jays. He had posted slightly below average numbers during the season, hitting .243/.307/.375 in 365 plate appearances, but his production evaporated after the trade. In 161 trips to the plate with Houston, Varsho managed just a .172/.224/.311 batting line – just a 48 wRC+ (52% worse than league average production).
This is particularly bad timing for Varsho, who is set to become a free agent for the first time this upcoming offseason. He missed the start of the 2025 season after shoulder surgery in 2024, but was a powerhouse in his return, smacking 20 homers in just 271 regular-season plate appearances (plus three more in 81 postseason plate appearances). A strong performance in 2026 would have propelled Varsho into the upper echelon of the free agent class this winter, but he will instead head to the open market after having his worst career performance at the plate and with recent surgery under his belt.
Toronto’s trade to Houston made it so Varsho couldn’t receive a qualifying offer (as did his play with the Astros). He would have been a borderline case if he had stayed with the Jays and continued to post slightly below average numbers in the batter’s box. Now he will enter the market as a top rebound candidate, who is primarily looking for short-term deals, whether it is a one-year contract or a short multi-year contract with the option to opt out.
Gn sports
