Towles Optioned to Express
Published on June 6, 2008 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Round Rock Express News Release
ROUND ROCK - The Houston Astros announced they have optioned catcher J.R. Towles to Triple-A Round Rock and purchased the contract of Humberto Quintero, who will join the Astros in Houston today. Towles will meet Round Rock on the road in Memphis over the weekend.
Towles, 24, hit .145 with four home runs and 14 RBI over 42 games with Houston.
Quintero, 28, has caught in 29 of his 32 games with Round Rock, hitting .237 with three home runs and 18 RBI. This marks his second stint with the Astros this season.
Towles, a native of Crosby, was originally drafted by the Oakland Athletics in 2002 and 2003 (32nd and 23rd rounds) before signing with the Houston Astros as a 20th round selection in 2004.
He batted .345 with five home runs and 35 runs scored in 2005 for Single-A Lexington and returned to hit .317 in 81 games for the Legends in 2006.
He began the 2007 season with High-A Salem, jumping up to Double-A Corpus Christi after 26 games. He flourished, hitting .324 with 47 runs and 49 RBI in 61 games before joining Round Rock.
With the Express, Towles hit .279 and swiped two bases over 13 games until Houston extended their top prospect a late-season call-up. On Sept. 20 he set a franchise record with eight RBI in St. Louis. In that game he was 4-for-4 with his first Major League home run.
Towles finished his first Major League stint with a .375 batting average, 12 RBI and five doubles over 14 games.
The two-player transaction bumps Round Rock to 48 transactions for the season compared to 26 at the same point in 2007.
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