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Jed Lowrie Nears Return to the Astros Lineup

By Issa Cook

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For the Astros fans that have followed this team closely over the course of the 2015 season, it’s really difficult to fathom that Jed Lowrie actually played a game for the Astros just a few months ago. With all the twists and turns that this season has provided, Lowrie has slipped into the back of all of our minds.

Well, it’s time for Astros fans to put Lowrie in the front of their minds again. It was announced yesterday that the shortstop has been sent to Corpus Christi for a rehab assignment and could return to the Astros lineup next week. Lowrie had been on the disabled list since April 27th when he tore a ligament in his right thumb while sliding into home plate on a Colby Rasmus RBI single against the Padres.

A thumb injury can be detrimental to the career of a baseball player due to the impact that it has on the way you grip your bat and swing the bat, and also the grip you get on the baseball when throwing it. The Astros want to give Lowrie time to get the swing back in order, so there will be no rush on his timeframe to report back to Houston.

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    • Earlier when I used the word “shortstop” to describe Lowrie, I was using it in a vague sense. The Astros have a franchise player at shortstop in Carlos Correa, which has forced Lowrie to take grounders at third base and adjust to playing on the hot corner. Luis Valbuena has been very inconsistent with the bat at third base, so the Astros are trying to find a different way to plug Lowrie in on the field to add another quality veteran bat to the lineup.

    Astros manager A.J. Hinch is considering all possibilities with Lowrie, including playing him at first base and designated hitter. Although Chris Carter hit a home run last night, the first base platoon of Carter, Jon Singleton, and Marwin Gonzalez hasn’t quite produced this year at the plate and could definitely use an upgrade.

    Unfortunately for Jeff Luhnow and the rest of the Astros front office, they won’t have much of a chance to examine Lowrie coming off the injury before the trade deadline passes. My guess is that Lowrie returns on July 31st (Trade Deadline Day) for the beginning of the home series against the Diamondbacks.

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    Some people believe that the additions of Jed Lowrie and George Springer gradually over the second half of the season would be the equivalent of a blockbuster trade, so they are using it to bolster the “We’ll be fine without a trade” argument. These fans could be right, as Lowrie and Springer certainly are impactful hitters that could change the course of the Astros season.

    Lowrie was a key component in an Astros lineup that started off very hot and pushed the team to a record of 15-7 for the month of April, the Astros’ best month of the season so far. From Opening Day to April 27th, Lowrie owned a .300 batting average, .432 on base percentage, four home runs, 10 RBIs, and 12 walks.

    Next: If the Detroit Tigers Sell, Will the Houston Astros Land Price or Cespedes?

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