Astros activate Braden Shewmake for Monday return

Shewmake was removed from Saturday’s game with groin tightness and will now find his way to the injured list. There is no timeline for his return, but it will give Brice Matthews a chance to take the starting second base job with Jose Altuve (oblique) also out. Matthews is starting at second base and batting eighth on Tuesday.

Shewmake was pulled from Saturday’s game due to right groin soreness. It doesn’t sound like he’s going to require a trip to the injured list, but it still may be another day or two before he’s ready to return to action. Nick Allen will start in his place at second base and will bat eighth for the Astros against Jacob Misiorowski and the Brewers on Sunday afternoon in Houston.

Nick Allen replaced him at second base against the Brewers. Shewmake was 0-for-2 with a strikeout before exiting.

It appears to be nothing more than a routine night off for the hot-hitting first baseman. Isaac Paredes will cover first base in his place while Braden Shewmake starts at the hot corner and will bat sixth for the Astros against Rangers’ right-hander Nathan Eovaldi.

The 24-year-old Matthews had spent a lot of time in centerfield for the Astros this season, but after Jose Altuve got hurt, he started at second base twice over the weekend. Then, Jeremy Pena was activated from the injured list on Monday, and Matthews started in center field. Yet, the Astros then activated Jake Meyers from the injured list on Tuesday, and Matthews headed to the bench. With Meyers, Cam Smith, Zach Cole, and Zach Dezenzo all in the outfield, it seems like Matthews has entered a timeshare at second base with Braden Shewmake. Matthews has plus raw tools, but he also has a .207 average and 31.5 percent strikeout rate in 127 plate appearances this season, so it’s hard to see him as a reliable fantasy contributor.

That figures to cost him at least a month. Brice Matthews started at second base today and could be the primary guy there while Altuve is out, though Braden Shewmake could also be in the mix once shortstop Jeremy Peña is activated.

Shewmake, starting at shortstop on Saturday with both Carlos Correa and Jeremy Peña sidelined, put the Astros on the board for their only run with a solo homer off Chase Burns in the fifth inning. The 28-year-old infielder’s time with the team could be limited with Jeremy Peña (hamstring) nearing a rehab assignment.

Correa will visit a foot specialist on Wednesday. It’s probably a good thing that that is the left ankle, as opposed to the right one that caused Correa to flunk physicals with the Mets and Giants as a free agent three years ago. Still, a lengthy absence appears likely here. The Astros will get by with Nick Allen and Braden Shewmake until Jeremy Peña comes off the IL, something that will hopefully happen next week. While this is definitely a blow, it at least will serve to settle the Houston infield, with Isaac Paredes playing third regularly and Yordan Alvarez DHing most of the time.

Shewmake’s homer on a 99-mph fastball was a 337-footer into the Crawford Boxes. Statcast said it would have been a homer in four ballparks, but it was a pretty impressive piece of hitting regardless. It was his third homer in 85 plate appearances as a major leaguer. He’s 4-for-13 with two homers since the Astros added him.

Neither is Carlos Correa. The Astros will roll with a double play combination of Brice Matthews at second base and Braden Shewmake at shortstop against RHP Brandon Young.