Back with Astros, veteran 1B Jose Abreu has RBI in 3-2 loss

Jose Abreu is returning to the majors after the Houston Astros recalled the troubled first baseman ahead of Monday night’s game against the Seattle Mariners.

The veteran had an RBI single in his return, cutting the Mariners’ lead to 3-1 in the fifth inning of a 3-2 loss at Houston.

Right-hander Cristian Javier (forearm) was placed on the 15-day injured list as part of the club’s other moves.

Abreu hit .099 (7-for-71) with just one extra-base hit and 18 strikeouts in 22 games before Houston demoted him to the club’s spring training site in West Palm Beach, Fla., on May 1st. Triple-A Sugar Land on Friday and went 0 for 7 with three strikeouts in two games.

Abreu played first base and reached eighth on Monday. He finished 1-3, increasing his average to .108 this season.

Abreu, 37, hit .237 with 18 homers and 90 RBIs in 141 games for Houston last season in his first campaign with the club.

Abreu spent nine seasons with the Chicago White Sox and was the American League MVP in 2020. He has 261 home runs, 956 RBIs and a .284 average in 1,433 career games.

The decision regarding Javier, 27, was retroactive to Friday. The pitcher was scheduled to start Tuesday’s game against Seattle, but was unable to pitch his scheduled session Sunday in the bullpen due to forearm discomfort. He will undergo an MRI, manager Joe Espada said.

Javier, who is 3-1 with a 3.89 ERA in seven starts this season, experienced a reduction in velocity in his last outing. He received no decisions while allowing four runs and eight hits in four innings against the Los Angeles Angels.

Javier was the starting pitcher when the Astros pitched the second no-hitter in World Series history. Javier pitched the first six innings of the 5-0 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 4 of the 2022 Fall Classic.

Javier also worked seven innings in a combined regular-season no-hitter against the New York Yankees in 2022. He struck out 13 batters before exiting.

Espada added that José Urquidy will also undergo an MRI due to forearm discomfort. Urquidy was pulled early from his rehab start with Triple-A Sugar Land last Friday. Urquidy was making his third rehab start for Sugar Land when he was removed after 3 2/3 innings. Urquidy has yet to compete in major tournaments this season due to forearm discomfort.

Houston also recalled right-hander Alex Speas from Sugar Land. On Sunday, Houston selected infielder/flyer Joey Loperfido to the same affiliate.

Information from Field Level Media and the Associated Press was used in this report.