After strong finish in '23, Abreu looks to keep momentum going

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Sometimes, less is more. That’s the Astros’ message this spring to veteran first baseman José Abreu, whose work ethic remains as strong as it was earlier in his career. Abreu perhaps puts in more time in the batting cage than anyone on the team, both in Spring Training and the regular season.

As commendable as that practice is for a player with so many career accomplishments, the Astros would like Abreu to dial it back a bit. They’d like him to spend a little less time on his feet and out of the batting cage to save more energy for the grind of a 162-game season. Abreu is 37, after all, and coming off a disappointing first season in Houston which included a stint on the injured list with a back injury.

“If it’s up to José, he’ll play 162, which is exactly what we want,” manager Joe Espada said. “But he has to monitor his volume and what he does prior to the game and how many swings he takes. I think he’s got a better feel of how to go about it and he made some adjustments in his offseason workouts. He’s in a really good place right now.”

The Astros signed Abreu to a three-year, $58.5 million contract in November 2022 after nine stellar seasons with the White Sox, but he struggled for most of the season. He didn’t hit his first home run until May 28, ending a career-long 260 at-bat stretch without a homer. He finished with a .237/.296/.383 slash line with 18 homers, 90 RBIs and an 87 OPS+, which was the first time in his career it was lower than 117. Abreu’s .680 OPS was well below his career OPS of .860 entering the season.

“The past is the past,” Abreu said. “Sometimes when things don’t go well, you’ve got to try to fix some things and learn from it and relax as much as possible. You try to learn as much as you can from bad things.”

Abreu finished the season strong after spending a 12-game stretch on the injured list in mid-August. He slashed .250/.325/.558 with eight homers and 31 RBIs from Aug. 28 to the end of the regular season and came up clutch in the postseason. Abreu hit four homers with 13 RBIs in 11 playoff games with a .945 OPS.

“Last year, he really wanted to show what he was all about and he did that with his makeup and his toughness,” Espada said. “I think we can protect him a little bit more by being smart about his workload and stuff like that. I think he’s going to be productive and be a really good player for us this year.”

In an effort to keep his back and the rest of his body healthy, Abreu said he took up Pilates in the offseason. He did it three times a week, and even jokingly recommended it to reporters.

“My agent was the guy who pushed me to go do it and I’m extremely grateful for him,” Abreu said. “It’s for the whole body.”

A healthy Abreu will continue to carry a big workload this year, just like the slugger prefers. Abreu should see more at-bats at designated hitter, which will keep him off his feet a bit more. Last year, Abreu started 134 games at first base and seven at designated hitter.

“Obviously, [Espada] is the guy that gets to make those decisions,” Abreu said. “For me, I’m in a good position and I would like to play first base. The most important thing is the team can win and if the team can win with me being [at DH], that’s what we’re willing to do.”