The Houston Astros initially placed Isaac Paredes on the IL back in mid-July after he suffered a severe right hamstring strain. However, with the playoffs around the corner, it sounds like Paredes is finally set to return.
Reports indicate that the Astros plan to activate the 26-year-old infielder from the IL on Friday before the game against the Seattle Mariners, according to team beat writer Brian McTaggart. It's said that Paredes will be available for the pivotal three-game series against the Mariners.
“Source: Isaac Paredes is expected to be reinstated from the IL tonight by the Astros and be available for the huge series against the Mariners. He was hitting .259/.359/.470 with a team-high 19 HRs and 50 RBIs in 94 games before straining his hamstring July 19 in Seattle.”
Isaac Paredes' return is massive for the Astros. Especially this late in the regular season. Entering Friday's contest, Houston is tied with the Mariners for first place in the AL West. If the two-time All-Star picks up where he left off, then the offense will have a huge boost in production for the playoff push.
The Astros have yet to announce if Paredes will be in the lineup on Friday night. However, based on the reporting, it sounds like that may be the plan. Once he is officially in the lineup, he will likely play in the third baseman role, which is what Isaac Paredes was playing before the injury.
Paredes is in his sixth season in Major League Baseball. He began his career with the Detroit Tigers in 2020. Since then, he has played for the Tampa Bay Rays and Chicago Cubs. He signed a one-year, $6.625 million contract with the Astros in the offseason to replace Alex Bregman at third base. During his time in the majors, Isaac Paredes owns a career .237 batting average and .338 OBP while recording 448 hits, 91 home runs, and 284 RBIs through 1,888 at-bats.
