Astros shut down George Springer for the season

Houston Astros rookie George Springer will stay sidelined the rest of the year to allow his injured quadriceps more time to heal, the team announced Tuesday.

Springer suffered the injury July 19 and hasn't appeared in a game since. He experienced discomfort running the bases Aug. 6, delaying his recovery.

"Collectively, we all came up with it," interim manager Tom Lawless said. "It's the best thing for the organization." 

The 24-year-old slugger turned heads with his first taste of the big leagues, setting a franchise record with 15 home runs before the All-Star break. The Astros hope the extra rest will allow Springer to play the whole season next year.

"The goal is for me to play 162 games and for me it’s tough," Springer told MLB.com. "Being a player and a competitor, I want to play, but at the same time you have to protect yourself and sometimes you have to do things you don’t want to do."

Springer finishes his inaugural campaign with a .231/.336/.468 slash line and 20 homers in 78 games.