OAKLAND, Calif. — Houston Astros first baseman José Abreu is scheduled to rejoin the club Monday in Seattle after a prolonged stint in the minors to regain rhythm at the plate.
The 2020 AL MVP was optioned to the franchise’s spring training facility in West Palm Beach, Florida, this month and joined Triple-A Sugar Land on Friday for at least two games with the Cowboys. He went 0-for-3 on Friday night.
It was still to be determined whether he would play again Sunday before traveling to Seattle or if he would only travel Sunday, according to manager Joe Espada.
Houston plays a four-game series against the Mariners beginning Monday.
“The plan is to bring him for the Seattle series and just come in with confidence,” Espada said. “He has made adjustments that we feel are going to help him and we just expect him to come back up here and just be himself and we’re going to help him, get him rolling. We’re all waiting for him, our players are excited, we are excited to have him back, so we’re looking forward to it.”
Abreu, in the second season of a $58.5 million, three-year contract and in his 11th year in the majors, is batting .099 with just one extra-base hit and three RBIs. In 77 plate appearances across 22 games this season, Abreu has just seven hits.
He batted .237 with 18 home runs and 90 RBIs last season, his first in Houston after nine seasons with the Chicago White Sox. With Houston, Abreu has four homers and 13 RBIs in 11 postseason games.
General manager Dana Brown said it was a group decision to send Abreu down after a meeting between Brown, the infielder, coaches and members of the front office.
Abreu was the 2014 AL Rookie of the Year and is a three-time All-Star and a three-time Silver Slugger winner.
Also Friday, rehabbing Astros right-hander Jose Urquidy had to leave his start for Sugar Land after just 3⅔ innings with what the big league team later called right forearm discomfort. He was scheduled to throw up to 80 pitches but came out after just 56. He allowed a run on four hits while striking out three before being removed.
Urquidy has been on the injured list all season because of a right forearm strain.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
