Lakeridge alum Cooper Hummel makes MLB return

Lakeridge alum Cooper Hummel is back in Major League Baseball.

The Houston Astros selected the former Pacer’s contract and added him to the active roster on June 14.

After beginning the 2024 season with the San Francisco Giant-affiliated Sacramento River Cats, Hummel was designated for assignment on March 28 following a number of roster moves. From there, Hummel was picked up by the Astros, who ultimately sent him to the Triple-A Sugar Land Space Cowboys on April 14, where he had a chance to shine this spring and summer.

In 45 games for the Space Cowboys, Hummel boasted an impressive .301 batting average while recording seven home runs, eight stolen bases, and 31 RBI.

So, after just two months with the Triple-A ball club, the Lakeridge alum was called up to the Astros last month, where he’s made a minimal impact in just six games thus far. In eight plate appearances, Hummel has reached on an error once and struck out twice while recording no hits.

Still, he’s back in the major leagues after a lengthy stint bouncing around in the minors.

In 2023, Hummel spent most of his summer with the Seattle Mariners’ Triple-A affiliate, the Tacoma Raniers, where he hit .262 with eight home runs and 47 RBI. In ten games with the Mariners, he went 2-for-23 with zero RBI.

From there, Hummel was waived by Seattle before being claimed by the New York Mets last December. A month later, the former Pacer was designated for assignment and ultimately traded to San Francisco for cash considerations.

Now, after all that bouncing around, Hummel is securely in Major League Baseball, where he’ll look to continue to carve out a role this summer.

The Astros will be in action on Wednesday, July 10 as they host the Miami Marlins.