Astros announce return to Houston for first home game since hurricane

The Houston Astros are going back home. The team announced Wednesday that the Astros will play their first home game since being relocated by Hurricane Harvey.

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The club will play a double-header against the New York Mets on Saturday, and conclude the series Sunday. All games will be played at Minute Maid Park, the Astros home stadium.

The team has the cooperation of the mayor’s office. In the statement, Mayor Sylvester Turner notes that having the Astros back in Houston will “provide an opportunity for families to start returning to some aspect of familiar life.”

The team also has a reason for beginning the series Saturday instead of Sunday. They want players to spend time with their families and the community.

The club also announced that 5,000 tickets will be given to first responders. The team was going to give away Carlos Correa jerseys during Saturday’s game, but will now donate those to a local charity. On top of that, the team will also collect food items at the gates for the Houston Food Bank.

The Astros had to move their current series against the Texas Rangers to Tampa Bay due to Hurricane Harvey. The team will complete that series Thursday and head back to Houston.

All proceeds from those games in Tampa Bay, including tickets, concessions and parking costs, will go toward hurricane relief efforts. The Astros have also donated $4 million to assist victims of Hurricane Harvey.

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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik