Carlos Gomez Injury: Updates on Astros OF's Intercostal and Return

Carlos Gomez's intercostal injury forced him to miss 17 of the team's final 21 regular-season games and also forced him miss Games 1 and 2 of the American League Division Series matchup with the Texas Rangers.

Thankfully for Astros fans, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com revealed Gomez is starting on Sunday and batting sixth in the lineup.

Gomez is a two-time All-Star and a former Gold Glove Award winner and tallied a combined 47 home runs and 74 stolen bases in 2013 and 2014. He boasts power, speed and impressive defense in center field on a nightly basis, and his ability to cover plenty of ground takes away potentially critical hits from the opposition, as MLB pointed out:

However, Gomez has struggled this season. He's been particularly lacking offensively since being dealt to Houston, posting a .661 OPS in 38 games. His defense in center field remains very good, though, as FanGraphs has credited him with saving seven runs in 2015. 

Still, Houston has a much more dangerous lineup and more potent defense when Gomez is playing.