Astros' Colby Rasmus: Cyst in ear responsible for DL stint

Updating a previous report, Rasmus landed on the 15-day DL on Sunday due to a cyst in his right ear, Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Analysis:

The outfielder said that he was diagnosed last week with a cholesteatoma and mentioned that he's battled ear infections for an extended portion of the season, so the Astros will give him some time off to recover. While the ear issue probably can't directly be blamed for Rasmus' struggles at the plate, his horrid 3-for-66 mark since July 2 provided plenty of reason for the Astros to stash him on the DL in the short term. With Rasmus out of the picture, Jake Marisnick and Preston Tucker will likely serve as the team's primary left fielders.