Farm Hands

Delino DeShields, Jr. has been in a bit of a funk lately. On April 14, he strained a finger on his right hand in a 6-1 victory over the Modesto Nuts (COL) and had to leave the game. Since returning on April 19, he's struggled to the tune of .191/.339/.319, 2-for-5 on stolen base attempts.

He hadn't had more than one hit in a game since April 21. That's a big part of the reason why it was so encouraging when he got off to a 2-for-4 start, with a double and a triple, in last night's game against the High Desert Mavericks (SEA) -- and why it's so disappointing what happened in the seventh inning.

With Ji-Man Choi at the plate, DeShields slid to a knee behind second base to field a a grounder, and he injured his left hand. There's no word at this time how severe the injury is, and whether or not he'll miss any time. He was replaced at second base by Carlos Perdomo.

Hand injuries seem to be the name of the game this season, as DeShields is now on his second, and 1st-overall pick Carlos Correa continues to have his hand monitored after it was hit by a pitch on April 30's game against the Great Lakes Loons (LAD). It was determined at the time that no X-Rays would be necessary, but the team continues to monitor the situation, and Correa has not yet returned to the lineup.

Hand injuries are persistent things. In 2009, then-Astros farmhand Chris Johnson's hand was fractured when he was hit by a pitch. He ended up missing over a month. Of course, neither DeShields' nor Correa's injuries appear to be as severe. Yet. We'll continue to keep you updated if there are any developments.

[Edit -- Correa was originally listed as getting his HBP vs. the Midland RockHounds. Obviously, Correa has never faced the RockHounds. The game was against the Great Lakes Loons.]