Houston Astros utility man Mauricio Dubon (thumb) played the final month of the 2024 season with a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his left thumb, according to a person with knowledge of the injury. Dubon will need surgery to fix the ligament damage, which will be performed by renowned hand surgeon Dr. Thomas Graham. The typical recovery time for the injury is six to eight weeks, meaning Dubon should be at full strength for the start of spring training next February. He initially injured his thumb sliding into first base on Sept. 6 against the Arizona Diamondbacks, although X-rays showed no damage at the time. Dubon played well despite the injury in 18 games, hitting .291/.322/.346 over 59 plate appearances. MLBTradeRumors projects Dubon to earn $4.6 million this winter in his third time through the salary arbitration process. The 30-year-old hit .269/.296/.361 with four homers and three steals in 137 games in 2024.
Houston Astros infielder/outfielder Mauricio Dubon slammed a two-run home run to left-center field to give the team a 5-4 lead over the Pittsburgh Pirates in the sixth inning of Wednesday night's win at Minute Maid Park. Dubon tagged Pirates right-hander Colin Holderman for the two-run shot, which was a clutch pinch-hit blast that proved to be the game-winner as the Astros took Wednesday's series finale against Pittsburgh. The 30-year-old super-utility man has notably made an appearance at every position except for catcher in 2024, batting .270 with four long balls, 19 doubles, and 36 runs scored in 259 at-bats as a useful piece of versatility for Houston.
Houston Astros utility man Mauricio Dubon won his arbitration case, securing a $3.5 million salary for the upcoming season, compared to the $3 million the team filed for. The 29-year-old posted a 97 wRC+ in 2023, batting .278 and playing in 132 games. After featuring at seven different positions in 2023, the team sees him as an invaluable asset, offering tremendous lineup flexibility, especially during playoff time. Despite the presence of Jose Altuve, Chas McCormick, Kyle Tucker, and Jake Meyers, Dubon's role as a super-utility man is expected to remain unchanged, ensuring his frequent appearances across various positions in the lineup.
Mauricio Dubon Scheduled For Arbitration Hearing Monday
Houston Astros outfielder Mauricio Dubon's salary arbitration hearing is scheduled for Monday. When the two sides exchanged figures, Dubon asked for $3.5 million and the Astros countered at $3 million. The two sides could settle in the middle before actually going to a hearing on Monday. The 29-year-old was an effective super-utility player for the Astros in 2023, especially with regular second baseman Jose Altuve missing significant time last year due to injuries. Dubon slashed .278/.309/.411 with a career-high 10 home runs, 26 doubles, three triples, 46 RBI, seven stolen bases and 76 runs scored in a career-high 132 games in his first year in Houston. He's set to return in 2024 in a similar role, although he's unlikely to do as well for fantasy managers with less playing time projected.
Houston Astros infielder/outfielder Mauricio Dubon is getting another start in center field and is batting second in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series on Thursday against the Texas Rangers and left-hander Andrew Heaney. Dubon also got the start in center field in Game 3 on Wednesday over Chas McCormick, but he was hitting in the seven-hole for that game. The 29-year-old went 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored in the team's first win of the series. McCormick is back in the lineup on Thursday, but Michael Brantley will head to the bench with a lefty on the mound for Texas. Dubon has been hot this postseason, going 6-for-12 with an RBI and a run scored in five games (three starts). He is 4-for-12 with a solo home run and a strikeout against Heaney in his career.
Houston Astros infielders Yainer Diaz and Mauricio Dubon are making their first starts of the American League Division Series in Game 3 on Tuesday against the Minnesota Twins and right-hander Sonny Gray. Diaz is the designated hitter and is batting sixth, while Dubon will start in center field and hit in the seven-hole. Michael Brantley and Chas McCormick will retreat to the bench. Diaz, 25, hit a strong .282/.308/.538 with an .846 OPS, 23 home runs, 60 RBI and 51 runs scored in 355 at-bats in his first full major-league season this year, but he's been limited to one pinch-hitting appearance in his first two postseason games to this point. Dubon also had an impressive regular season (.278 average) with 10 homers and seven steals in 467 at-bats.
Houston Astros second baseman/outfielder Mauricio Dubon went 1-for-4 with a run scored on Thursday and was again hitting leadoff for the Astros. Dubon has been hitting first consistently since Jose Altuve went on the IL, and is likely to continue doing so until Altuve returns. Although the lineup context is nice, Dubon hasn't done much with the opportunity, slashing .233/.270/.283 in July with eight runs scored, eight RBI, no homers, and one steal. With Altuve going on a rehab assignment soon, Dubon's fantasy relevance is likely dwindling at this point and he can be safely dropped in almost all leagues.
Mauricio Dubon Taking A Seat Against The Reds On Saturday
Houston Astros infielder/outfielder Mauricio Dubon is not in the lineup on Saturday against the Cincinnati Reds. This looks to be a routine day off for the 28-year-old utility man. Dubon has been excellent for Houston this season, slashing .290/.315/.403 with three home runs, 15 RBI, and five stolen bases over 221 at-bats. Corey Julks is starting in left field and batting leadoff while Jose Altuve and Jeremy Pena are starting at their usual positions against Hunter Greene and the Reds.
Houston Astros infielder/outfielder Mauricio Dubon is starting in right field and is back in the leadoff spot on Friday against the Cincinnati Reds and rookie left-hander Andrew Abbott. Because of his versatility on defense, Dubon continues to play regularly for the Astros, even after Jose Altuve made his season debut from a fractured thumb. The 28-year-old has never been much of an offensive force in his MLB career, but he's exceeding expectations so far in 2023 with a .295 batting average (64-for-217) with 14 doubles, a triple, three home runs, 15 RBI, five steals and 36 runs scored in 54 games covering 228 plate appearances. Fantasy managers should continue riding Dubon in deeper leagues, but don't expect it to continue.
Houston Astros infielder Mauricio Dubon will start on the bench on Thursday against the Washington Nationals with shortstop Jeremy Pena (illness) returning from a three-game absence due to an illness. Dubon has been extremely useful for the Astros this year and has the ability to play both middle infield positions as well as the outfield. He's carved out a nice utility role in his first full season in Houston and has been deserving of more playing time while hitting .296/.322/.412 with a .734 OPS, 14 doubles, a triple, three home runs, 15 RBI, five stolen bases and 36 runs scored in 227 plate appearances and 53 games. Dubon has mostly been a defense-first player in his career, so expecting him to keep this up offensively all year would be foolish. He hit .214 in 2022 and is a lifetime .256 hitter in 315 games played.
Mauricio Dubón
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Astros
