Josh Reddick is back in the big leagues

The Arizona Diamondbacks called up former Houston Astros outfielder Josh Reddick for the first time in 2021 for a debut against the Dodgers.

Josh Reddick’s major league career isn’t done yet.

The 34-year-old right fielder will make his debut with the Diamondbacks after being called up from the minors.

Reddick will bat fifth on Thursday night against the Dodgers, who he played for in 2016. Don’t expect the crowd at Dodger Stadium to give him much of an ovation, though. He was part of the Astros team that controversially beat LA in the 2017 World Series. That’s not something Dodger fans forgive easily.

Arizona took shortstop Nick Ahmed out of the lineup to accommodate Reddick, moving right fielder Josh Rojas to fill the open infield spot. Ahmed is batting .190/.242/.267 this season.

Reddick is no sure thing coming off a 2020 season in which he hit .245/.315/.378, but he put up good enough numbers in his minor league assignment for management to bank on him being an upgrade.

Josh Reddick is set to make his debut for the Diamondbacks

The Red Sox drafted Reddick in 2006. He made his MLB debut in 2009 and spent three seasons in Boston. They traded him to the Athletics ahead of the 2012 season.

Reddick’s first season in Oakland was bright as he captured a gold glove while hitting 32 home runs. He’s never quite found that kind of power again.

The A’s traded Reddick to the Dodgers in 2016. He ended up playing 47 games for Los Angeles to finish up that campaign.

When free agency came up, he signed with the Astros and played in Houston for four seasons. It was another special debut season winning the World Series with his new team.

The Astros declined to offer him a new contract following 2020, leaving him a free agent until Arizona scooped him up in mid-April with a minor league contract.