HOUSTON, TX – Houston Astros catcher Martin Maldonado underwent successful surgery yesterday to repair a sports hernia. He is expected to be fully recovered from the procedure by the start of Spring Training.

In the 2022 postseason, Maldonado appeared in 11 of the Astros 13 games overall (all starts). In 113 regular season games, he reached career highs in home runs (15) and RBI (45). Astros pitchers posted the best ERA in the American League with a 2.90 mark, which is the lowest in franchise history for a full season. Maldonado has been a durable performer as the Astros primary catcher over the last three seasons (2020-22). His 283 games at catcher in that span rank second in the Majors behind J.T. Realmuto (287).

ASTROS SIGN LHP AUSTIN DAVIS TO MINOR LEAGUE CONTRACT

The Astros have signed LHP Austin Davis to a minor league contract with an invitation to Major League Spring Training.

Davis, 29, appeared in 52 Major League games in 2022, splitting his time between the Red Sox (50g) and Twins (2g) organizations. In 2022, he compiled a 2-1 record and a 5.79 ERA (36ER/56IP), while striking out 64 hitters in 56.0 innings. In Major League action, Davis limited left-handed hitters to a .198 (16x81) average and a .554 OPS. A veteran of five Major League seasons, Davis has appeared in 136 games in his career, while pitching for the Phillies (2018-20), Pirates (2020-21), Red Sox (2021-22) and Twins (2022).