Feb 27, 2025; Port St. Lucie, Florida, USA; New York Mets second baseman Jeff McNeil (1) throws to first base but cannot retire Houston Astros first baseman Christian Walker (not pictured) during the fourth inning at Clover Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

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MLB injuries: Astros face setback as new first baseman Christian Walker battles familiar injury issue

Should the Astros be concerned?

The Houston Astros’ plans for a fresh start at first base hit an early roadblock as Christian Walker was scratched from Wednesday’s spring training lineup due to soreness in his left oblique. Christian Walker, who joined the Astros on a three-year, $60 million deal this offseason, had been off to a strong start in camp, going 4-for-8 with three doubles and two walks over his first four games.

This setback is particularly concerning given Walker’s history with oblique injuries. The veteran first baseman missed over a month last season with the Arizona Diamondbacks due to a strained left oblique, and he had two separate stints on the injured list in 2021 with right oblique issues. While he played a full slate of games in 2022 and 2023, hitting a combined 69 homers with 197 RBIs, his latest flare-up raises questions about his durability heading into the 2025 season.

Joe Espada said he won't have a substantive update on Christian Walker until tomorrow. He said Walker reported the issue with his left side during batting practice this morning: "It's something I don't want to see right now. I'm just hoping for the best."
— Matt Kawahara (@matthewkawahara) March 5, 2025

“It’s something I don’t want to see right now,” Astros manager Joe Espada said. “I’m just hoping for the best.”

Houston prioritized first base as a key area of improvement this offseason after parting ways with Jose Abreu, who struggled before being released midway through his three-year, $58.5 million contract. Walker, a three-time Gold Glove winner, was expected to bring both defensive stability and offensive production to the position after slashing .251/.333/.445 with 26 homers and 84 RBIs for Arizona last season.

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With Walker sidelined for now, Jon Singleton, who led Houston in starts at first base last year, stepped into the lineup on Wednesday. The Astros also have Zach Dezenzo, the organization’s No. 5 prospect per MLB Pipeline, as an option at first base, along with backup catcher Victor Caratini.

As the Astros await further evaluation on Walker, they will hope that his absence is only a short-term issue rather than a lingering problem that disrupts their plans for the season.

Astros

Christian Walker

Injury

Mohsin Baldiwala

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Mohsin Baldiwala is a Master’s student in Journalism and freelance content producer who got hooked on baseball through Seinfeld’s hapless George Costanza. The same reason why he’s a Yankees fan. He writes about sports because he believes it can offer a brief escape from the world’s chaos. Even if that means enduring the heartbreak of the 2024 World Series.