Astros' Gattis hitless with 12 strikeouts in 20 at-bats

Houston Astros slugger Evan Gattis continued to sink into the abyss of futility with three more strikeouts Sunday, running his total up to a dozen punchouts in five games and extending his hitless streak to 30 at-bats dating back to last season.

Gattis, who was benched Saturday following his third consecutive 0-for-4 game, went 0-for-5 on Sunday and has just one walk in 21 plate appearances.

"It's early," Astros manager A.J. Hinch told reporters Saturday. "It's not a ton of at-bats. No one is more frustrated than him. He's not used to having stretches like that, but he's a pro. He's a good player, and he's going to make adjustments. I have very little concern about Evan and how productive he's going to be."

Gattis isn't the only Astros player racking up an increasing amount of swings and misses so far this season. 

George Springer (10) and Chris Carter (eight) are both among the AL leaders in strikeouts, and the team collectively ranks at the top of its league with 61 whiffs through the first week of the year.

Gattis, however, remains the only qualified in the AL player without a hit in 2015. Boston Red Sox first baseman Mike Napoli broke his 0-for-18 hitless streak with an eighth-inning single Sunday.