The Houston Astros are taking action to help first baseman José Abreu regain his form by optioning him to their spring training facility.
General manager Dana Brown disclosed the decision on Tuesday, with plans to execute it on Wednesday.
Abreu, the 2020 AL MVP, will head to the Astros complex in West Palm Beach, Florida, in response to his recent struggles at the plate.
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Brown emphasized that the choice was reached following a discussion involving himself, Abreu, coaching staff, and front-office members.
“Jose Abreu is an outstanding human being,” Brown said. “He is unselfish and he’s a teammate’s guy and he wants to get himself back to what he was doing last fall. And so, in the midst of this conversation, you could see that this guy is passionate and determined to get back to helping his team.”
“And so he unselfishly was on board with an agreement with going back to West Palm Beach and getting some extra bats, getting some detailed instruction on what we could do to get him back,” Brown continued.
Despite the disappointing start to the season, Abreu remains under a hefty $58.5 million, three-year contract, signing with the Astros for his second year.
With a batting average of .099 and minimal offensive production, Abreu’s performance has been far below expectations, tallying only one extra-base hit and three RBIs in 77 plate appearances across 22 games.
Despite these challenges, Brown noted Abreu’s positive attitude and openness during their conversation.
“Jose Abreu is an outstanding human being,” Brown said. “He is unselfish and he’s a teammate’s guy and he wants to get himself back to what he was doing last fall. And so, in the midst of this conversation, you could see that this guy is passionate and determined to get back to helping his team.”
“And so he unselfishly was on board with an agreement with going back to West Palm Beach and getting some extra bats, getting some detailed instruction on what we could do to get him back,” Brown continued.
To address the gap left by Abreu’s absence, the Astros called up Joey Loperfido from Triple-A Sugar Land, intending primarily to utilize him in the outfield.
Loperfido, 24, is set to debut in the major leagues on Tuesday night against the Cleveland Guardians, with Jon Singleton stepping in at first base for Abreu.
Singleton, batting .238, has been tasked with filling the gap, though he’s yet to register an RBI this season.
Despite his current slump, Abreu boasts an impressive track record in 11 big league seasons, including the 2014 AL Rookie of the Year and three-time All-Star and Silver Slugger award winner while with the Chicago White Sox.
“He got to the point where he was frustrated,” Brown said. “It’s rare to do it. But I think it tells us about his dedication and commitment and I don’t think he sees this as a long term and I don’t think we see it as a long term thing. I think it’s more like… let’s go down, let’s make some adjustments. Let’s get the rhythm and timing back. And I think in his eyes, he’s looking at it as I’ll be back in a couple of weeks or whatever it takes to get better.”
Last season, he contributed significantly to the Astros with a .237 batting average, 18 home runs, and 90 RBIs, demonstrating his potential to rebound after a rough start.
“The bat speed is still pretty good,” Brown said. “So, we’ve got to get his timing right and we’ve got to get his rhythm right, so that he can consistently do it. And so I still feel very optimistic about it.”
