Just four games into his tenure with the Houston Astros, LaMonte Wade Jr. is heading for a stint on the injured list.
Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reported that the Astros plan to place Wade on the 10-day injured list with a right hamstring strain and intend to call-up outfielder Joey Loperfido from Triple-A Sugar Land.
Wade exited last night's win over the Los Angeles Angels in the sixth inning while trying to stretch a single into a double. Manager Joe Espada initially called it right hamstring soreness after the game.
Now, the veteran outfielder/first baseman will be heading to the shelf for a while. In just four games with the ballclub, Wade went 4-for-12 at the plate with one home run, four RBI, and four runs scored.
Houston signed the 32-year-old to a major-league deal last week after he was let go by the Chicago White Sox. Wade appeared in 46 games with the White Sox's Triple-A affiliate, the Charlotte Knights, slashing .250/.420/.441 with seven home runs, 26 RBI, and two stolen bases.
The Astros opted to sign Wade for his versatility, as he has played both first base and the outfield throughout his career.
With Wade now on the IL, the Astros are set to call-up the aforementioned Loperfido from Triple-A. Loperfido was recently activated off the IL after nursing a quad strain. In 20 games this season, the 27-year-old is batting .276/.348/.362 with seven RBI.
Loperfido is now expected to be one of the many options to man left field for the Astros.
The Astros enter play on Tuesday with a 31-37 record. However, they're only 4.5 games back in a weak American League West division.
