Houston Astros boss reveals plan to combat Slugger activation

José Abreu returns to the Houston Astros.

Astros manager Joe Espada revealed Sunday that Abreu will be activated by the team on Monday and will be available for their game with the Seattle Mariners.

THE Houston Chronicle was among the media to report the update.

Abreu completed his rehab assignment with Triple-A Sugar Land on Saturday and was flying to Seattle to meet the Astros on Sunday, Espada said.

His activation will end Abreu’s month-long absence from the Major League team after an epic start to the season. He hit .099 with a .269 OPS and just one extra-base hit in 22 games.

After this departure, the Astros and Abreu mutually agreed that he would accept an assignment to the team’s training facility in West Palm Beach, Florida, where he worked on his swing with the team. coaching the Astros alongside Hall of Famer Jeff Bagwell.

A little over a week ago, Abreu hadn’t even taken an at-bat in a game. He had only suffered cuts in a cage or during live batting practice.

As he headed to Seattle to join the Astros, he slashed .241/.313/.414/.727 with a homer and three RBIs in seven games with the Astros’ Florida Complex League team and the Space Cowboys.

Now the question is whether Abreu can get close to the hitter he was just a few years ago.

Abreu is in the middle of a three-year contract he signed last offseason. He struggled mightily to start last year, but rebounded enough to slash .237/.296/.383/.679 with 18 homers and 90 RBIs. Still, his batting average represented a dramatic drop from the .304 he hit with the Chicago White Sox in 2022.

He failed to live up to the expectations he set for himself during his nine-year stint with the Chicago White Sox, where he hit .292 with 243 home runs and 863 RBIs. He earned three All-Star Game berths, won three Silver Sluggers, was the 2014 American League Rookie of the Year and the 2020 AL Most Valuable Player.

Without him, the Astros relied on Jon Singleton at first base, with the occasional departure of Mauricio Dubón.