Abercrombie earned his way back

HOUSTON -- When Reggie Abercrombie found out he had a day off during Round Rock's game against Memphis on Friday, he thought it was because the last time he had faced the opposing pitcher, he struck out three times.

It was not until after the game that he found out he was being called up to the Astros.

The Astros decided after Friday's 6-1 win against St. Louis to release center fielder Jose Cruz Jr. and to purchase Abercrombie's contract.

Abercrombie was sent down on March 28 as the Astros finalized their 25-man roster prior to the start of the season. He was struggling at the plate at the time, but Abercrombie said Round Rock hitting coach Ron Jackson and manager Dave Clark helped him find his swing.

Astros manager Cecil Cooper said Abercrombie will share some time with center fielder Michael Bourn, although he is sticking with Bourn, who went 6-for-30 on the recent road trip, as the starter.

"Initially, the plan is going to be for him to maybe get some at-bats that Michael might not get," Cooper said. "I'm not going to say they'll split time, but he'll get his starts when Michael's not playing. He'll play defense in the outfield, and he might pinch-run or pinch-hit. He needs to be ready when the umpire says, 'Play ball.'"

Abercrombie, who was purchased on waivers from the Marlins in October, said he does not care what role he plays, as long as he is in the big leagues helping the Astros win.

Abercrombie was batting .288 with 11 doubles and nine home runs for the Express when the Astros called him up.

"He's a real gifted athlete," Cooper said. "He's got a lot of speed, and he's got some power potential. He's had problems making consistent contact. I guess he got his swing back a little bit there at Round Rock, so we thought this was the right opportunity for him."

Darin Erstad, who took Bourn's place in the lineup on Friday, will continue his backup role in center field, according to Cooper.

Erstad said he will perform in whatever role the manager gives him, although he said he enjoyed the extra playing time. He went 1-for-4 with a run and a strikeout on Friday.

"It's better than chewing sunflower seeds on the bench," Erstad said.

Abercrombie said the transition back to the Houston clubhouse would be easy because he knew so many people from Spring Training. He said his new teammates congratulated him when he arrived.

"I went [to Round Rock] to do my best, and I'll come up here and do the same," Abercrombie said. "It's all the same. The clubhouse gets better, the food gets a lot better, but that's about it. You still have a lot of friends and teammates that stick with you."