{"id":114685,"date":"2026-02-24T22:00:05","date_gmt":"2026-02-25T03:00:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/?p=114685"},"modified":"2026-02-25T21:20:29","modified_gmt":"2026-02-26T02:20:29","slug":"astros-reacquired-fan-favorite-outfielder-who-could-play-key-role","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2026\/02\/24\/astros-reacquired-fan-favorite-outfielder-who-could-play-key-role\/","title":{"rendered":"Astros Reacquired Fan Favorite Outfielder Who Could Play Key Role"},"content":{"rendered":"

Even as the MLB season rapidly approaches in about a month, the left field situation for the Houston Astros remains unsettled. While it might be too late to make any more trade moves<\/a>, the Astros said they are not done yet. Something that the Astros front office has always been looking for has been a good left-handed bat.\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Astros Get Fan Favorite Outfielder Back Who Could Play Key Role<\/h2>\n

Houston acquired Jes\u00fas S\u00e1nchez<\/a> at the trade deadline last year, but that did not end up panning out too well. While the Astros could\u2019ve stuck with him, they chose to make a move that benefits them long term. On Feb. 13, the Astros made a one-for-one trade swap and sent S\u00e1nchez to the Toronto Blue Jays for former Astros outfielder Joey Loperfido<\/a>.<\/p>\n

What Loperfido Did in Toronto<\/h3>\n

In 41 major league games with the Blue Jays last season, Loperfido put up an impressive .333 average and .879 OPS. He had 32 hits in 96 at-bats along with four home runs and 14 RBI. He struck out just 27 times. Compare that to 95 strikeouts in 81 games in his rookie season of 2024. Loperfido spent most of his time in the minors at Triple-A Buffalo<\/a> last season before getting called up in July. He hit .264 with a .742 OPS in 91 games, along with seven homers and 44 RBI.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Most of Loperfido\u2019s action with the Blue Jays last season came in the second half of the season, from July to September. He remained on the roster during Toronto\u2019s run to the World Series and got an at-bat during the ALCS.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Aug 4, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Toronto Blue Jays left fielder Joey Loperfido (10) hits an RBI single in the third inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Astros Outfielder Returns<\/h3>\n

The 26-year-old was a seventh-round pick for the Astros out of Duke in 2021 and quickly became one of their top prospects. Loperfido worked through the Astros minor league system and got to the Triple-A level in Sugar Land in 2024 before getting called up to the big leagues for the first time in April. The talent was quite evident from the get-go, with his athleticism in the field and electricity across the bases giving life to the team.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The 6-foot-2, 220-pound outfielder struggled with the bat and was going back and forth between the Triple-A level and Houston before becoming an almost everyday contributor for the Astros in July 2024. Loperfido got traded to the Blue Jays on July 29 in a surprising move along with Jake Bloss and Will Wagner for starting pitcher Yusei Kikuchi.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

He was now asked about fans being upset when he got traded.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou just take it as a compliment for people to be invested in your career and follow you along,\u201d Loperfido said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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Many Astros fans were angry when Joey Loperfido was traded away in 2024. He took it as ‘a compliment.’<\/p>\n

When I asked him about it, he also revealed he believes his parents’ dog still has an #Astros<\/a>-themed collar. @KHOU<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/XhhexwOqLz<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Jason Bristol (@JBristolKHOU) February 15, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n