Krauss recalled to give boost to ailing roster

HOUSTON -- The Astros called up outfielder Marc Krauss from Triple-A Oklahoma City prior to Wednesday's game to give manager Bo Porter another option. Catcher Jason Castro is nursing a sore knee, outfielder Robbie Grossman has a strained right oblique and third baseman Matt Dominguez is ill.

Porter wanted another bat, which led the Astros to call upon Krauss, who hit .300 with a .443 on-base percentage during his recent 12-game stint at Oklahoma City. Kraus, who hit .169 with three homers and 10 RBIs in his previous stint in Houston this year, started at designated hitter in the finale vs. the Twins and hit an RBI single in his first at-bat.

"We figured we want to get somebody here who's ready to go today, just because of the number of guys we have dealing with situations," Porter said.

Castro, who aggravated a cyst in his knee Monday and had it drained Tuesday, appears to be at least a few days away from returning. Grossman strained his oblique swinging the bat in the 12th inning Tuesday and can't play. Dominguez was feeling sick for the second day in a row Wednesday.

"I'm just day to day, and we'll see how it goes," Grossman said.

Krauss left the RedHawks just before they were scheduled to play the first game of a best-of-five series against Omaha in the American Conference Finals of the Pacific Coast League. The chance to return to the Majors trumps a chance to play for a ring.

"This is where you want to be," Krauss said. "To miss out on the playoffs, it's one of those things that's going to happen. Really, it's out of my control. It would have been fun to be there and help the team get a ring, but at the same time, this is the end goal for everybody. This is where you want to be, this is where you want to play and make your mark. I'm happy to be back up here again."