Astros First Baseman Ends Home Run Drought In Win over Angels

Jon Singleton was called up to the Houston Astros earlier this week and played his first home game with the team since 2015.

Jon Singleton’s comeback to the Houston Astros reached a crescendo on Friday night in his first home game of the 2022 season as the Astros defeated the Los Angeles Angels, 11-3.

Singleton hit two home runs in the game, playing his first home game for the Astros since 2015.

His first home run came in the second inning off the Angels’ Reid Detmers, as he drove in three runs with no one out.

Then, in the third inning, he hit a two-run shot off Detmers. He finished the game 3-for-4 with five RBI and three runs.

With that first home run, Singleton ended a near-decade long drought without a home run. It was his first in the Major Leagues since July 29, 2015. That was eight years and 13 days between home runs, which was the longest by a MLB player since pitcher Jake Peavy (July 26, 2006 and Sept. 16, 2015), per Elias Sports Bureau.

For position players, it was the longest drought since Rafael Belliard (10 years, 144 days from 1987 to 1997).

It’s the biggest sign that Singleton’s long, winding route back to Houston could give the Astros an offensive boost.

Singleton’s incredible story started as an eighth-round pick for Philadelphia in 2009. He was one of the players the Astros got in return for Hunter Pence in trade in 2011. The Astros liked Singleton so much they signed him to a $10 million contract before he even played a game for the Astros.

Singleton eventually got to the Astros, but he also tested positive for marijuana three different times, the last of which in 2018 earned him a 100-game suspension.

He played 114 games for Houston between 2014-15 and slashed .171/.290/.331/.621 with 14 home runs and 52 RBI.

Singleton’s career took him to Mexico in 2020 and back to minor league baseball in 2021 with the Milwaukee Brewers. There, Singleton built his career back up and eventually earned a promotion to the Brewers earlier this season, where he played in 11 games and slashed .103/.188/.138/.325.

But the Brewers released him, and the Astros took a flier on him and signed him to Sugar Land on June 24. Singleton put up impressive numbers with the Space Cowboys before he was called up on Monday.

More From SI's Inside The Astros:

• Could Mike Trout Request a Trade to the Houston Astros?
• Mariners Fans Inexplicably Outraged Following Houston Astros' Social Media Post About Sweep
• Report: Former Astros Pitcher Fiers' Contract Terminated By CPBL Club
• Six Houston Astros Declared Free Agents
• Watch: Yordan Álvarez's Home Run Wins Astros World Series
• Lucas Giolito Claims All Teams Were Cheating in 2017
• Dusty Baker Makes His Thoughts Known on Bonds and Judge Records
• Is it Time to Move on From the Houston Astros Cheating Scandal?
• Is There Any Hope for an Aging Yuli Gurriel?