Astros likely without Evan Gattis to start season

The 2016 Houston Astros 25-man roster was set at least on paper. But the game isn't played on paper. The Astros will already without Lance McCullers with shoulder soreness, now Evan Gattis will join him on the sidelines, as reported by Houston Chronicle's Evan Drellich.

This news isn't necessarily a surprise as Gattis underwent sports hernia surgery right before Spring Training started.

The initial timeline for Gattis' recovery from surgery is four-to-six weeks. The surgery was done early in early February, putting his timetable for return around the end of March. But Gattis hasn't appeared in a Spring Training game.

Astros manager A.J. Hinch said of Gattis' recovery:

"I don't know, I really don't know," Gattis said. "Probably unlikely, I guess, if I had to guess. Optimistic for sure. Feeling good, but I don't know if timing will be there (at the plate), and that's even excluding like talking about catching."

Drellich also noted in his article that the Astros will be looking to get Gattis back as a designated hitter but are open to putting back behind the plate as a catcher.