BREAKING NEWS FROM PATRICK CREIGHTON
Sources: Astros CF George Springer’s injury worse than reported; thumb is “unstable"
Aug 24, 2018, 3:45 am
The Astros may be without George Springer for a while. Photo by Ron Schwane/Getty Images
Astros CF George Springer’s thumb injury is much more serious than the team has let on.
Sources on Thursday informed me that Springer has ligament damage in his thumb, and that his thumb is “unstable.” They also indicated that this injury would normally have a much longer recovery timetable - 6-8 weeks on the shorter end. It has only been three weeks since Springer suffered the initial injury.
Springer appeared to be in a significant amount of pain when he injured his thumb on a head first slide on August 5th. He then missed the next eight games on the DL.
Springer returned to the lineup without going on a rehab stint, which was unusual. Jose Altuve played one game at Triple-A Fresno to get his timing back before rejoining the lineup.
Springer came off the DL and returned to the lineup on Aug. 17, playing in three games. He went a combined 3-of-13 with one run and one RBI. He did not start on Aug. 20th vs Seattle, although manager AJ Hinch said he was available to pinch hit. Springer has not played the last three games.
Patrick Creighton hosts “Late Hits” on ESPN 97.5 Houston weeknights 7-9p, and “Straight Heat” on SB Nation Radio weekdays 4-7p CT. Follow him on Twitter: @PCreighton1
Fred VanVleet scored 26 points, Amen Thompson added 25 and the Houston Rockets avoided elimination with a 131-116 rout of the Golden State Warriors in Game 5 of a first-round playoff series Wednesday night.
he's COOKIN' 🔥 pic.twitter.com/e5dUnmrRxE
— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) May 1, 2025
Game 6 is Friday in San Francisco.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr threw in the towel early in this one with the game out of hand. A layup by VanVleet midway through the third quarter made it 93-64, and Kerr called timeout and cleared his bench.
Houston coach Ime Udoka followed suit with about a minute to go in the third and his team up 105-76. He put all his starters back in with about eight minutes left after Golden State cut the lead to 109-92.
Dillon Brooks added 24 points on a night when all five Houston scored in double figures.
DB finishing strong 💪 pic.twitter.com/vTNqLAFGZd
— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) May 1, 2025
A 9-5 run by the Warriors got them within 114-101 before a fracas broke out with about four minutes to go. Pat Spencer pushed Brooks and then was ejected after headbutting Alperen Sengun in the ensuing scuffle.
Houston went on a 7-2 run after that to put the game away.
The Rockets put together their best game this postseason to extend the series after losing both games in California, including Game 3, which Jimmy Butler sat out with an injury,
They raced to a 14-point lead after one quarter and by the time Stephen Curry made his first basket on a 3-pointer midway through the second, they led 55-32.
They had a 27-point lead at halftime behind 19 points from VanVleet.
Butler managed just eight points in 25 minutes on 2-of-10 shooting after combining for 52 points in the two full games he’d played in this series.
Curry was 4 of 12 for 13 points after scoring more than 30 points in two of the first four games to move the Warriors within a game of clinching the series.
The Warriors made 15 of 44 3-pointers and shot 41.7% overall. The Rockets made 13 of 30 3s and shot 55.1%.
By extending the series, the Rockets have a chance to become the 14th team in NBA history to overcome a 3-1 deficit in a best-of-seven series. Houston has done it twice, most recently in the 2015 Western Conference semifinals against the Clippers.
The Warriors were on the wrong end of such a comeback, losing the 2016 NBA Finals to LeBron James and Cleveland after having a 3-1 advantage.
Golden State has dominated the Rockets in the playoffs, eliminating them four times between 2015 and 2019.
VanVleet caught up with Vanessa Richardson after the win.
“The playoffs are about constantly improving.. getting better game to game.”
Let’s build on this & handle business back in The Bay 👏 pic.twitter.com/M8pOOUqPxv
— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) May 1, 2025