J.R. Towles is the number one prospect in the Houston Astros organization, following in the footsteps of Lance Berkman, Roy Oswalt and Hunter Pence, but for the first 42 games this season, he was awful.
Towles hit .145 for the Astros before being sent down in early June. He rebounded somewhat in Round Rock (AAA-Pacific Coast), hitting .279 with 5 homeruns and 11 RBI. The improved performance might not have earned him the callup when Humberto Quintero went on the disabled list with a concussion, but it has to make the Astros feel a lot better about his occasional presence in a major league lineup. And for Towles, a 20th round draft pick in 2004, it’s another chance to prove he belongs in Houston.
And hey, he’s 2-7 with a couple of ribbies in his first two games back. The average is up to .153. That’s progress!
