The Houston Astros defeated the Texas Rangers in convincing fashion on Monday. Houston won 13-6 and made a statement as both teams battle for the AL West title. However, Houston was also dealt a concerning injury. Key reliever Ryne Stanek was carted off the field after suffering an apparent ankle injury. Manager Dusty Baker provided an update following Houston's win.

“He's being analyzed right now,” Baker said, via Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. “I mean… it was ugly. You couldn't really tell what happened, he had a late break over there.”

Stanek suffered the injury while trying to cover first base. MLB placed an emphasis on limiting injuries by making the bases bigger in 2023. Although it seems to have worked for the most part, Stanek still clearly suffered an ailment on Monday. Baker mentioned that it's the first time he's seen an injury such as this since the bases were changed.

“The big bases, that's the first time I've seen it hurt,” Baker continued. “I'm just hoping that nothing's broken or nothing structurally wrong with it. We will have to see.”

Astros: Ryne Stanek suffers apparent injury

Stanek, 32, joined the Astros ahead of the 2021 season. He's become an important bullpen piece over the past three years. After flashing signs of potential in 2021, Stanek took a step forward in 2022. The right-hander pitched to the tune of a 1.15 ERA across 54.2 innings pitched.

He hasn't been quite as dominant in 2023 (current 3.88 ERA) but Stanek is still crucial to Houston's relief core. This injury is concerning to say the least, and all Dusty Baker and the Astros can do right now is hope for the best.

We will continue to monitor and provide updates on Stanek and the Astros as they are made available.