George Springer was off to the best start of his career. The first third of the season saw the usually streaky outfielder mature into a model of consistency. The two-time All-Star and former World Series MVP had not only been Houston’s best player but also one of the most valuable in baseball.



But after he suffered a Grade 2 strain of his left hamstring while running after a ball on defense Friday night, the Astros are forced to move forward without their tone-setter atop the lineup. No timeline for Springer’s return was offered Saturday other than that his stay on the injured list will last longer than the minimum 10 days. Amid exceedingly high odds for Houston to win the AL West — 99 percent entering Saturday’s games, according to FanGraphs — expect the team to exercise its usual caution with his rehab.



Springer headed to the injured list on pace to set career highs in batting average (.308), on-base percentage (.389) and slugging...