Houston Astros Utility Man Mauricio Dubón Set to Undergo Offseason Thumb Surgery

Mauricio Dubón, who played through a torn UCL in his left thumb for the final month of the season, will go under the knife now that the Houston Astros have been eliminated from the playoffs.

Oct 2, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros outfielder Mauricio Dubon (14) reacts after bunting his way on base against the Detroit Tigers during the seventh inning of game two of the Wildcard round for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Minute Maid Park. / Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

Houston Astros utility man Mauricio Dubón is set to undergo thumb surgery, The Athletic's Chandler Rome reported Wednesday morning.

Dubón hurt his thumb against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sept. 6, leaving that game in the seventh inning. He missed the Astros' next contest, then returned as a defensive substitute on Sept. 8 and missed just one game for the rest of the season.

As it turned out, Dubón had suffered a turn UCL in his left thumb. He played through it, even appearing in both of Houston's AL Wild Card Series games against the Detroit Tigers, but is now going under the knife with his team's season over.

Dubón was batting .265 when he initially suffered the injury. The 30-year-old hit .291 for the remainder of the regular season, then went 2-for-5 in the playoffs.

The procedure, which Dubón is scheduled to undergo in Philadelphia, comes along with a recovery timeline of six-to-eight weeks. Even if he comes in on the more pessimistic end of that spectrum, he is still expected to be back to full strength by the time Spring Training rolls around in February.

Houston acquired Dubón back in May 2022, bringing an end to his four-season stint with the San Francisco Giants. He went on to win a World Series with the Astros that fall, then post career-highs across the board in 2023.

Dubón hit .278 with 10 home runs, 46 RBI, seven stolen bases, a .720 OPS and a 2.7 WAR across 132 games last season. He took a step back in 2024, batting .269 with four home runs, 47 RBI, three stolen bases, a .657 OPS and a 1.1 WAR in 137 games.

While Dubón logged his most appearances in left field this season, he also saw plenty of action at first, second and third base, plus shortstop, center field and right field. In each of the past two years, he has gotten time everywhere but pitcher, catcher and designated hitter.

The 2023 Gold Glove winner has racked up 11 defensive runs saved since becoming an everyday player for Houston last season.

The Astros paid Dubón $3.5 million in 2023 after the utility man won his arbitration hearing against the team. Per MLB Trade Rumors, Dubón is projected to earn $4.6 million in arbitration this winter, while Spotrac has him on the books for an estimated $6.5 million payday.

Dubón is on pace to hit free agency for the first time after the 2026 season, at which point he would be 32 years old.

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