HOUSTON, TX — Houston Astros right-handed reliever Joe Smith underwent surgery to repair a ruptured left Achilles tendon on Tuesday, Astros President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Jeff Luhnow announced today.
Smith sustained the injury while working out last week. The injury will keep Smith out of action for approximately 6-8 months.
Smith, 34, was 5-1 in 56 relief appearances for the Astros in 2018 with a 3.74 ERA (19ER/45.2IP) and 46 strikeouts. He allowed just 34 hits in his 45.2 innings of work for a .207 opponent batting average while posting a 1.01 WHIP. For his career, Smith has a 3.02 ERA in 754 Major League appearances (all in relief) and a 1.69 ERA (1ER/5.1IP) in eight career postseason appearances.