Josh

Flores

Flores, a 2005 fourth-round pick, struggled in low-A ball last year, but is hitting .326/.378/.522 with 19 steals in 21 attempts in the Carolina League. He’s a possibility to be the Astros’ long-term center fielder, with Hunter Pence eventually moving over to right.

Flores is batting .303/.361/.455 with two steals in two attempts through nine games. The Astros took quite a liking to Josh Anderson in September, but if a youngster is eventually going to push Hunter Pence to right field, it figures to be Flores.

Flores, 21, hit .325/.392/.500 with 25 steals in 30 attempts for Single-A Salem. He might be the Astros’ center fielder by 2009, pushing Hunter Pence to right field.

Flores was injured in February. “He was walking, coming out of a restaurant and kind of slipped on a curb, kind of slipped on his knee the wrong way and blew out his knee,” director of player development Ricky Bennett said. “He didn’t do it working out or anything along those lines. It was kind of one of those freak deals.” The hope is that he’ll resume partipating in baseball activities during the instructional league.