The AL West is in a tight race as the Houston Astros are fighting for first place with the Seattle Mariners, with the Texas Rangers not too far behind. With the playoff race heating up, Houston receives some positive news regarding Isaac Paredes that could largely benefit them in the final stretch of the regular season.
Reports indicate that Paredes, who is 26 years old, is participating in live batting practice on Saturday, according to Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle. The six-year infielder fell to a hamstring strain in mid-July that has had him sidelined ever since. But it appears he could be back in the lineup relatively soon.
“Isaac Paredes is scheduled to take live batting practice tomorrow in West Palm Beach, Dana Brown said.”
Before suffering the injury, Isaac Paredes was owning a .259 batting average and .359 OBP while recording 91 hits, 19 home runs, and 50 RBIs through 351 at-bats. He was playing rather well in his first season with the Astros. Paredes has experience playing all over the infield, but has mainly served as a third baseman in Houston this year.
With the Astros firmly in the race in the AL West, the club will likely monitor Paredes' status in the coming weeks. Since being placed on the 60-day IL in mid-July, expectations have been for Isaac Paredes to return to action in mid-September. Considering he's taking live batting practice for the first time on Saturday, he very well could be on pace to join the lineup before the playoffs begin.
In the meantime, the Astros will focus on their next series against the Atlanta Braves. The first of three games begins on Friday at 7:15 p.m. EST. The club will return to Houston on Monday, where they will play against the Rangers, who are just two games back in the AL West standings.
