Yuli Gurriel's World Series run has come to an end.
The Astros first baseman was injured during Game 5 vs. the Phillies and replaced during the game by midseason trade acquisition Trey Mancini. After the game, manager Dusty Baker said Gurriel had injured his knee during a rundown play in the seventh inning.
"He tried everything," Baker said Saturday, according to ESPN. "He came in (Friday), got treatment. Came in this morning early, got treatment. Didn't respond well enough to play. He tried to run. And from a guy who had knee injuries, the hardest thing to do is to stop and then to round the bases or have lateral movement."
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With Gurriel unable to play, the Astros were able to make a roster move and swap him out for rookie catcher Korey Lee. Lee has just 25 at-bats in his big-league career, but he will be asked to join the club as it tries to close out the series Saturday in Game 6.
Here's what you need to know about Lee.
Korey Lee stats
Don't expect to see a lot of Lee in the World Series. The move gives the Astros a third catcher, which in turn allows them to start Martin Maldonado behind the plate and Christian Vazquez at designated hitter. But if Lee does get any time at the plate, he has the potential to provide power.
Lee appeared in 12 games during the 2022 campaign, his first taste of the majors, and posted a .160/.192/.240 slash line with a pair of doubles, four RBIs, a walk and nine strikeouts. He was with the team for all of July but was sent down after the Astros acquired Vazquez from the Red Sox at the trade deadline.
The 23-year-old does have plenty of power, though. At Triple-A this season, he launched 25 home runs and posted a .483 slugging percentage. But he did have his issues with contact; he batted just .238, walked 8.1 percent of the time and struck out in 28.5 percent of his plate appearances.
Lee has been a fast riser through the minors. He played 64 games at low Single-A in 2019 after he was drafted and posted a slash line of .268/.359/.371. After no minor league season in 2020 (COVID), he returned in 2021 and played at three levels: high Single-A, Double-A and Triple-A, recording a combined .277/.340/.438 slash line and 11 home runs in 88 games.
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Korey Lee scouting report
The stats just about tell the story with Lee. According to MLB Pipeline, he is a power-first prospect, both with his home run-hitting ability and his cannon arm behind the plate.
But he does have issues. MLB Pipeline writes that he tries to pull the ball too much and struggles with breaking pitches. It also notes that he still needs development behind the plate but has enough athleticism to improve over time.
Baseball America describes Lee as having greatly improved his defense and further established himself as the catcher of the future in Houston.
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When was Korey Lee drafted?
Lee was drafted 32nd overall in 2019 by the Astros. He was the third catcher taken in the draft, behind Oregon State's Adley Rutschman (first overall to the Orioles) and Baylor's Shea Langeliers (ninth overall to the Braves).
He was not used much early in his collegiate career at California. He appeared in 28 games as a freshman (.277/.338/.338) and 36 games as a sophomore (.238/.328/.426) for the Golden Bears. But then Lee broke out as a junior, posting a .337/.416/.619 slash line with 15 home runs, 43 strikeouts and 26 walks in 51 games, all of which he started.
