Houston Astros Past World Series Hero Makes Major League Return With Royals

The Houston Astros will see their past World Series hero in the opposing dugout after he was activated by the Kansas City Royals.

Sep 1, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Kansas City Royals designated hitter Yuli Gurriel (18) reacts after a video tribute before the game against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park / Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

The Houston Astros have been continuing to roll after they found their groove at some point during the summer.

Despite dealing with multiple injuries to their pitching staff and not having Kyle Tucker since June, this team has just continued to win games on their schedule. They have put themselves in position to be playing fall baseball again where, as they have shown in the past, they perform at their best.

An interesting storyline that continues to surround this team, though, is their issues at first base.

The Astros thought they solved any potential problems when they signed Jose Abreu to the most lucrative free agent contract in franchise history at the time ahead of the 2023 season.

The former MVP was seen as an upgrade over the aging Yuli Gurriel who they let walk in free agency, but after the Abreu tenure proved to be a complete disaster, there is a real hole on this roster that could come back to bite them.

When it comes to the two-time World Series champion, Gurriel will now be in the opposing team's dugout as he is making his first Major League appearance since last year.

Ahead of Sunday's matchup against Houston, the Kansas City Royals announced they had selected the contract of Gurriel after they acquired him from the Atlanta Braves in exchange for cash considerations on Aug. 31.

Chandler Rome of The Athletic reported multiple players stopped their pregame routines to watch the tribute video the Astros put together for their long-time fan favorite who accomplished incredible things with the organization.

It will be interesting to see how he performs with his new team.

If Gurriel plays well with the Royals, that would call into question why Houston never pursued a potential reunion when they clearly have major issues at first base.