Gittens will undergo surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
The operation will sideline Gittens "for a while," per Astros manager Joe Espada. Gittens is in camp as a non-roster invitee and injured the knee on the first swing he took in Grapefruit League play.
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Astros' Chris Gittens: Getting knee examined
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Gittens has been sent to Houston to have his right knee injury examined, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
The Astros believe Gittens could be dealing with a meniscus or patella injury but will know more after the test results are in. Gittens is in camp as a non-roster invitee, and any chance he might have had to make the Opening Day roster probably just went out the window.
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Astros' Chris Gittens: Inks MiLB deal with Astros
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Gittens signed a minor-league contract with the Astros on Dec. 21.
Gittens left the States after the 2021 campaign to pursue a career in Japan and has slashed .299/.426/.493 in two seasons with Nippon Professional Baseball's Rakuten Golden Eagles. He'll compete for a spot on Houston's bench in the spring, but Triple-A Sugar Land seems to be Gittens' likely destination for Opening Day.
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Chris Gittens: To play in Japan
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Gittens was recently released by the Yankees and will play in Japan next season, Lindsey Adler of The Athletic reports.
While Gittens, 27, never got a fair shake to see if his game translated against big-league pitching, he possessed as much power as any hitter in the upper levels of the minors. He hit .301/.440/.644 with 14 home runs and a .342 ISO in 45 games at Triple-A last season.
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Yankees' Chris Gittens: Back from 7-day IL
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Gittens (hamstring) was reinstated from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre's 7-day injured list Saturday, and he went 1-for-4 with two strikeouts in his return to the starting lineup.
Gittens was sidelined for approximately two weeks with the hamstring injury. The 27-year-old has submitted a monstrous 1.160 OPS at Triple-A this season, but he likely won't be in the mix for a September call-up now that the Yankees have Anthony Rizzo and Luke Voit on hand to pick up work at first base.
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Yankees' Chris Gittens: Nearing return at Triple-A
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Gittens, who has been on the 7-day injured list at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre with a muscle issue between his hamstring and quad, was seen running the bases prior to Friday's game and could be nearing a return, Conor Foley of The Scranton Times-Tribune reports.
The 27-year-old slugger has been out since Aug. 20. He hit .267/.389/.700 with four home runs and 12 strikeouts in 30 August at-bats with the RailRiders.
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Yankees' Chris Gittens: Activated and optioned
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Gittens (ankle) was activated off the 10-day injured list Friday and optioned to Triple-A Scranton-Wilkes-Barre.
Gittens spent time in the big leagues in June and July but didn't make much of an impression in limited playing time, hitting .111/.250/.194 in 44 trips to the plate. Anthony Rizzo is still on the COVID-19 injured list, but the Yankees also have Luke Voit to play first base, so Gittens isn't needed at the moment.
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Yankees' Chris Gittens: Initiates rehab assignment
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Gittens (ankle) reported to Double-A Somerset on Sunday to begin a rehab assignment.
Gittens has been on the shelf since July 25 with a sprained right ankle, but he'll likely only need a few games in the minors to convince the Yankees he's fully healthy. Even if the Yankees elect to keep Gittens up with the big club once he's reinstated from the 10-day injured list, he'll likely be limited to a depth role at first base behind Luke Voit, who is set to take over as the club's primary first baseman while Anthony Rizzo (illness) is on the COVID-19 IL.
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Yankees' Chris Gittens: Takes part in fielding drills
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Gittens (ankle) was spotted performing fielding drills at first base Thursday, Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News reports.
The workout marks the first known baseball activity Gittens has performed on the field since he was placed on the 10-day injured list July 25 with a sprained left ankle. Gittens is without a clear timeline for a return, but once activated, he'll most likely be optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The Yankees acquired Anthony Rizzo from the Cubs last week to take over as their everyday first baseman, while the player Gittens had been replacing, Luke Voit (knee), is on the track to beat him back from the IL.
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Yankees' Chris Gittens: Heads to injured list
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Gittens was placed on the 10-day injured list Sunday with a sprained right ankle.
Gittens suffered the injury during Saturday's contest when he stepped on a bat and rolled his ankle. The 27-year-old was scheduled to undergo X-rays, and the diagnosis of a sprain indicates the imaging came back clean. It remains unclear how long he's expected to be sidelined. Gio Urshela (illness) was activated from the COVID-19 injured list in a corresponding move.
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Yankees' Chris Gittens: Getting X-rays on ankle
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Gittens underwent X-rays on Saturday after stepping on a bat and rolling his ankle, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.
Gittens had only just returned to the lineup after missing a few days with a minor Achilles injury. Whether or not he'll need to miss more time remains to be seen.
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Yankees' Chris Gittens: Ready to go Friday
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Gittens (Achilles) is starting at first base and batting seventh Friday against the Red Sox.
Gittens was held out of the starting nine the past three games with Achilles soreness, but he'll rejoin the lineup Friday. The 27-year-old is 1-for-8 with three walks in four games since rejoining the big-league roster.
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Yankees' Chris Gittens: Sitting again with injury
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Gittens (Achilles) is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Red Sox.
Gittens remains day-to-day with a sore Achilles, which is keeping him on the bench for the third game in a row. DJ LeMahieu picks up another start at first base in Gittens' stead.
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Yankees' Chris Gittens: Sitting due to sore Achilles
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Gittens (Achilles) is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Phillies.
DJ LeMahieu will pick up the start at first base while Gittens sits for the second straight day on account of a sore Achilles. According to Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News, Gittens was spotted on the field Wednesday taking part in stretches and agility drills with a trainer, a positive sign for his chances of avoiding a trip to the injured list.
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Yankees' Chris Gittens: Managing Achilles issue
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Gittens didn't start Tuesday's game against the Phillies due to Achilles soreness, Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News reports.
Catcher Rob Brantly was pressed into starting at first base Tuesday with Gittens sidelined and DJ LeMahieu (illness) also scratched from the lineup. Gittens should be considered day-to-day with the severity of the Achilles issue unclear.
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Yankees' Chris Gittens: Not starting Tuesday
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Gittens is not in the lineup for Tuesday's series opener against the Phillies.
The rookie takes a seat after going 1-for-7 with three walks in the weekend series against Boston. DJ LeMahieu steps in at first base Tuesday, with Rougned Odor playing second base and Tyler Wade playing third.
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Yankees' Chris Gittens: Stepping in as everyday 1B
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Gittens will start at first base and bat fifth Sunday against the Red Sox.
While all of Luke Voit (knee), Gio Urshela (COVID-19) and Miguel Andujar (wrist) are on the shelf, Gittens should be in store for a full run of playing time at first base. He'll stick in the lineup for the third straight game after going 1-for-4 with a pair of walks between the first two contests of the series.
Gittens will start Friday's game against Boston at first base after being recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Brendan Kuty of The Newark Star-Ledger reports.
Gittens rejoins the Yankees in a flurry of roster moves relating to the club's COVID-19 issues, while Luke Voit (knee) also landed on the 10-day injured list. Gittens' promotion indicates that he's gotten past the undisclosed issue that landed him on the 7-day IL in early July. He recorded just two hits across 21 at-bats in his first stint with the big club before being optioned June 20.
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Yankees' Chris Gittens: Out with injury
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Gittens was placed on the injured list at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Friday with an undisclosed injury, Conor Foley of The Scranton Times-Tribune reports.
Gittens was optioned to Triple-A on June 20 and had been unable to play the past few days for the RailRiders while dealing with the injury. It's unclear when the 27-year-old is expected to return.
