Evan Gattis: Undergoes hernia surgery

Gattis recently underwent surgery to repair a hernia and is expected to miss most of spring training, the Houston Chronicle reports.

Analysis:

Although the injury is not considered severe, Gattis will need 4-to-6 weeks to recover, meaning the Astros will be without the slugger's services for most of the Grapefruit League slate and quite possibly for Opening Day. Jonathan Singleton, Luis Valbuena, Marwin Gonzalez, Preston Tucker, Jake Marisnick and Matt Duffy could all be in the running to pick up at-bats as the designated hitter until Gattis returns.