HOUSTON — Astros first baseman Yuli Gurriel was removed from the World Series roster after suffering a knee injury in the team’s Game 5 win on Thursday.
Gurriel, 32, hurt his right knee during a rundown in the seventh inning, forcing him to leave the game.
“He tried everything,” manager Dusty Baker said. “He came in yesterday, got treatment. Came in this morning early, got treatment. Didn’t respond well enough to play. He tried to run. And from a guy who had knee injuries, the hardest thing to do is to stop and then to round the bases or have lateral movement.”
Catcher Korey Lee will replace Gurriel on the roster, allowing Christian Vazquez to be the designated hitter in Game 6 on Saturday night. Houston will carry three catchers for the final two games, giving the Astros more lineup flexibility.
They’ve had little production from their designated hitters so far in the series.
Lee, 24, appeared in 12 games for Houston this season, going 4-for-25 at the plate. Gurriel was hitting .347 during the playoffs with two home runs before going down.
The Astros lead the Philadelphia Phillies 3-2 in the best-of-seven series.