Astros GM just teased a huge return that could completely shakeup the playoff race

This seemed impossible a few weeks ago.
Houston Astros slugger Isaac Paredes
Houston Astros slugger Isaac Paredes | Tim Warner/GettyImages

The Houston Astros could certainly use some pop in the middle of their batting order at the moment, and it appears as though they just might get it. Astros GM Dana Brown dropped a huge injury update over the weekend, stating that Isaac Paredes may be back in the lineup before the end of the week.

According to Brown, Paredes could be activated off the 60-day IL before the team's upcoming series against the AL West leading Seattle Mariners. Paredes has been sidelined for the last two months after suffering a severe hamstring injury back in mid-July that many feared would end his 2025 campaign.

There was talk of surgery at one point, but the Astros' slugger opted for PRP (platelet-rich plasma) injuections and rehab instead. Paredes has been rehabbing at the team facility in Florida, and could be back in the lineup as soon as Friday.

Astros GM just gave fans a ray of hope with latest Isaac Paredes injury update

Brown revealed little more than that timeline, but seeing as how Paredes hasn't even begun a rehab assignment, one has to wonder how realistic his return to the lineup really is. Paredes faced live pitching over the weekend, and perhaps a three-day trip to Sugar Land or Corpus Christi is in the cards this week.

Brown said that Paredes will not play the field upon his return to the lineup, and will only fill in as the team's designated hitter. That will obviously force manager Joe Espada to shuffled around some key pieces of his lineup, but given the lack of offensive production from Houston over the past month, it's easy to understand why the Astros' skipper would sacrifice for defense if it meant getting one of his best bats back in the lineup.

Paredes came to Houston this past offseason as part of the Kyle Tucker trade, and gave the Astros and enormous impact right from the jump. Paredes filled in at third base after Alex Bregman's exit and hit .259/.359/.470 with 19 home runs before landing on the IL back in July. Despite being out of commission for two months, Paredes still ranks 5th among all Astros players in WAR. They need him back in the lineup.

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