Astros send Towles to minor leagues ... [...]

Astros to demote rookie Towles ... [...]

The Sports Xchange reports that Astros C J.R. Towles realizes he has been brutal at the plate this season, but knows defense is his No. 1 priority. "Definitely, my hitting is struggling a little bit right now," Towles said. "There's no way of hiding that. But the one thing I can do is do well behind the plate and not let my hitting affect my defense. One thing I take pride in is doing well behind the plate. I'd rather, like I've said before, go do extremely well behind the plate than go 4-for-4 at the plate. Any time I can help those pitchers out in any way, it makes me feel good. It makes me feel like I've had a job well done."

Astros' Towles strikes out three times ... [...]