Kyle Tucker

Astros general manager Dana Brown said in an interview Wednesday that the team is "optimistic" Tucker (shin) will return before September, Brian LaLima of SportsTalk 790 reports.

The Astros, looking to lengthen their lineup and get more production out of first base, are among the teams with interest in Rays infielder Isaac Paredes, reports Chandler Rome of The Athletic. As Rome explains, the bottom third of Houston’s lineup has produced a disastrous .254 OBP since Kyle Tucker went on the injured list…

The Astros, looking to lengthen their lineup and get more production out of first base, are among the teams with interest in Rays infielder Isaac Paredes, reports Chandler Rome of The Athletic. As Rome explains, the bottom third of Houston’s lineup has produced a disastrous .254 OBP since Kyle Tucker went on the injured list…

Astros manager Joe Espada told reporters "there still is not the pushing or strength we'd like to see, but it's better." He added that Tucker feels most comfortable at the moment while hitting in the batting cages, which he's been able to do since late June. The 27-year-old fantasy superstar's timeline to return remains a bit murky since he doesn't seem to be making a ton of progress at the moment. He's been out since early June due to a shin contusion. We have no evidence to support it, but we're dubious that it's just a bruise given how long he's been sidelined.

The 27-year-old superstar outfielder had been doing light on-field activities earlier in the week, so it sounds like this was at least a step up from there. There's still no word on when he'll be able to start hitting again -- or how long he'll need before he's able to return to the Astros' lineup. Any step in the right direction is considered progress though, so we'll take what we can get at this stage.