With José Abreu hitting .099/.156/.113 with a -21 wRC+ across 77 plate appearances, it was only a matter of time before something broke the status quo. Well, consider it broken...for now.
The Astros were willing to reduce Abreu’s playing time to help his productivity, splitting time with the left-handed Jon Singleton. But the idea felt like a short-term bandaid, especially with Abreu still struggling at the plate. Even when he drove in two runs against the Rockies during the Mexico City series last weekend, the contact wasn’t that impressive. Groundballs, in particular, remain an issue, in addition to a growing whiff issues against fastballs and breaking balls.