Astros Former Top Prospect Ready To Take Over

It started off as a good story when Jon Singleton made his return to the major leagues with the team that first game him his MLB shot back in 2014.

Then, it became an incredible story when the first baseman not only hit his first major league home run since 2015, but hit two of them in the same game.

The slugger vowed that he would make an impact in his second chance with the Houston Astros. Now, he's in prime position to make that a reality.

During the offseason, the Astros made a splash when signing power hitter Jose Abreu to a three-year deal. However, in the first year, it has not gone as planned for either side.

The slugger is putting together his worst performance at the plate in his career, hitting .234/.291/.343 with 10 home runs and 56 RBI. His slash line has dropped to .164/.281/.273 over the last 15 games.

On top of this poor hitting, he's been dealing with a sore back that put him on the injured list Saturday.

Abreu had been the everyday first baseman, mainly due to his defensive prowess at the position. His poor hitting left the door cracked for someone to earn more playing time in the lineup.

That someone could be Singleton.

Since being called up on August 8th, the former top prospect is hitting .250/.400/.750 with the aforementioned two home runs and five RBI in his four games played.

Manager Dusty Baker is still confident enough in Abreu's defense that he probably won't move on from him when he returns from the IL, but Singleton could play down the stretch against right handed pitching.

"Hopefully I can just be a piece of the puzzle. It felt great. It was a long time coming," the first baseman said after his player of the game performance.

Singleton has said he wants his second stint with Houston to go differently than the first. He'll need to continue performing if he wants that to happen.