Houston Astros Skipper Makes Interesting Comments on Slumping Slugger

The Houston Astros need to run.

It looked like they had finally started to put things together in mid-May when they climbed the AL West standings, but they fizzled out almost as quickly as the hot spell arrived.

With a 4-6 record in their last 10 games heading into Friday’s action, they find themselves 5.5 out of first place in their division and 6.5 out of third place in Wild Card.

This team needs a helping hand from someone to get things going.

Perhaps it comes from their young starting pitcher who seems to have figured something out and is looking like the star prospect he was touted to be entering the season.

Ideally for the Astros, that spark will come from their veteran slugger Jose Abreu.

After signing a three-year, $58.5 million contract with Houston in 2022, things haven’t gone well for the 2020 American League MVP.

Not only did he have his worst year as a professional in 2023, but he followed that up with an even worse effort that saw him spend time away from the team at their Florida resort to find his swing.

The Astros apparently thought he had spent the necessary time figuring things out and decided to call him up on May 27 after nearly a month away from Major League Baseball.

Since his return, he has gone 2-10 with no extra-base hits and just one RBI, putting aside any concerns about his performance.

Still, manager Joe Espada really likes what he’s seen from the 37-year-old.

“I think it’s encouraging. I think he looks better in the batter’s box. I think he moves a lot better. I think he hit two balls really, really hard. Catching fastballs , much better passes on fastballs And his mindset is better too, which I think is very important,” he said when asked what he saw from Abreu. since his return.

Of course, the skipper won’t say anything that could destroy the slugger’s confidence immediately after returning to the team, but perhaps it’s more than just nice words.

Dealing with fastballs was a major problem for Abreu, so if he sees them better and is able to catch them more often with his bat, then maybe he can start producing.

What he can do is unknown given how poor he is, but Espada still believes in the former MVP.

It will be up to the first baseman to repay that confidence with good performances.