The Houston Astros are promoting Jon Singleton to the active major league roster, per the Athletic. Singleton was once a top prospect in the Astros' system, but he hasn't played for the big league team since 2015. With very little depth on the squad, Houston needs a left-handed power bat off the bench. Astros general manager Dana Brown and manager Dusty Baker hope Singleton can provide that.

Since signing a minor-league contract with the Astros in June, Singleton is slashing .333/.446/.692 with 19 hits for extra bases in Triple-A. “If he can come up here and hit the ball well and have quality at-bats, I think he’s a guy that Dusty [Baker] can say ‘I want to get some more reps on,’” Dana Brown said.

The Philadelphia Phillies drafted Singleton in 2009, and the Astros traded for him in 2011. After he surged up the prospect rankings with strong minor league play, Singleton signed a 5-year contract with $10 million guaranteed. He was the first player to sign such an extension without ever playing in the majors.

Shortly after, Singleton's struggles with drugs sidelined his career. He spent time in rehab and served three separate suspensions while on the Astros, and the team eventually released him.

Singleton signed with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2021 and got the big-league call earlier this year. He played 11 games for the Brewers in June and went 3 for 29 before Milwaukee designated him for assignment.

The Astros decided to give it another go with Singleton, signing him to another minor league contract on June 24.

The roster move is low-risk for the Astros, but Jon Singleton seems to need a bigger role to find his rhythm than he will have in Houston. It's difficult to find your grove as a hitter making occasional appearances off the bench. Singleton lacks defensive versatility as well, only able to hit and play first base.

“It will be a Dusty call at the end of the day. If we get him up here and Dusty really likes him, we’ll roll with him,” Brown said. “If Dusty says I’m limited with this guy, it’ll be his call once we get him up here.”