Astros don't expect Rasmus back for remainder of season

Colby Rasmus' days as a member of the Houston Astros look to be all but over.

Ramus, who hasn't played for Houston since an eighth-inning, pinch-hit appearance on Sept. 18 against the Seattle Mariners, was removed from the club's lineup card on Monday by manager A.J. Hinch to seek a second opinion on a nagging hip injury.

Hinch doesn't believe Rasmus will return to the club before the end of the season on Oct. 2.

"This season has been a physical grind for him, so he's going to go and get the opinion that he needs," Hinch said on Monday, according to Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle. "I'm not expecting him to be back with us for the remainder of the regular season."

If Rasmus' season is indeed over, it could also spell the end of his tenure in Houston. After signing a one-year, $15.8-million qualifying offer in the offseason, the outfielder has struggled to perform in his second year with the Astros, slashing .206/.286/.355 in 107 games.