MIAMI — Given a choice of season-ending right hamstring surgery or rehabbing with the outside chance of returning this year, Houston Astros third baseman Isaac Paredes opted to avoid an operation and will rehab the “significant” strain he sustained last month.

Paredes received a platelet rich plasma (PRP) injection and, according to Astros general manager Dana Brown, must undergo a “long period of letting it rest before he can start any type of exercises.”

“In his whole opinion on this, he wants to work hard to try and get back this season,” Brown said before Monday’s game against the Miami Marlins. “Of course, he’s going to dedicate himself to getting back.”

A shrinking calendar and suddenly crowded infield cast some serious doubt on Paredes’ plan, but Brown reiterated it was the player’s preferred course of action. Houston plays its 113th game of a 162-game season on Monday and has less than two months left in its regular season.

Paredes, an American League All-Star, has already missed the Astros’ last 15 games after sustaining the injury on July 19 in Seattle. His 19 home runs are still the most of any Astro and he trails just shortstop Jeremy Peña for the team’s highest OPS.

Paredes sought multiple opinions on the injury, Brown said, some of which included undergoing a surgery that could carry a recovery time of “six months plus,” according to Brown. It’s unclear how Paredes’ decision to rehab may impact his availability for spring training or next season, should he not be able to return this year.

Already bracing for Paredes’ lengthy absence, the Astros acquired both Carlos Correa and Ramón Urías during last week’s trade deadline in an effort to bolster third base.

Correa, a shortstop throughout his career, has switched positions and is now the Astros’ primary third baseman. If Paredes were to somehow return this season, it’s unclear where he would even fit on this new-look roster.

Evaluators both inside and outside of the Astros’ organization have long insisted Paredes would struggle playing second base on an everyday basis. Doing so after such a significant injury — with ostensibly little time to learn the position — seems, at best, far-fetched.

“That would be a good problem to have,” Brown said of Paredes’ potential fit on Houston’s 2025 roster. “We will cross that bridge if we get there, but I would say that we have multiple infielders that can play multiple positions and that’s very helpful. That would be a good decision to have to make if he comes back.”

Brown declined to specify the grade of strain Paredes suffered, only reiterating that “it was significant and it was enough that it could require surgery if he wanted it.” That he opted against it prompted positivity from Brown.

“I’m optimistic because he’s dedicated to coming back from this severe hamstring strain,” Brown said. “That gives me some optimism. I think he is watching what’s going on here and he wants to be a part of it. I think he’s going to work his tail off to try and get back.”

(Photo: Alex Slitz / Getty Images)