Houston Astros superstar still hasn’t returned to baseball

On Tuesday night, the Houston Astros reached a new low, losing 2-0 to the Chicago White Sox. After a series win, the hope was that the Astros would take advantage of the worst team in baseball.

It’s been a season full of lows for this struggling team, and if things don’t change in the near future, it’s hard to imagine what the front office will decide to do.

Being healthy is the top priority for the future. However, with Justin Verlander now hitting the IL and Kyle Tucker still out with a shin bruise, that doesn’t appear to be the case this year.

In previous campaigns, Houston has managed to stay afloat, even through injuries. This time it was too much to handle.

The latest update on Tucker isn’t a good sign either, as first-year captain Joe Espada told reporters he has not returned to baseball activities.

“He’s doing better, just slower than expected,” Espada said Tuesday, according to Matt Kawahara of Houston Chronicle.

“We expected him to start running and moving today – he’s doing some of that, but in the weight room. But he’s not able to do it on a baseball diamond.”

With this roster lacking offense for part of the season, Tucker needs to return as soon as possible to give them a chance.

The left-handed outfielder has a real argument for being one of the best hitters in baseball, putting together another ridiculous year at the plate.

Tucker, 27, is hitting .266/.395/.584 with 19 homers and an OPS+ of 178. If he continues to swing the bat like he has, he will finish with career highs. He hasn’t played since June 3.

He’s on track to earn his third straight All-Star nomination.

But this injury shows exactly what went wrong for the Astros this season. Even when things finally seem about to turn around, they lose one of their best players.

Espada has not yet given a timetable for his return, and if this injury continues to take longer to heal, it is possible that he will have to play a few rehab matches.

Hopefully that won’t be the case and he can return to action in the near future. Houston certainly needs it.