DETROIT -- Josh Reddick has a simple, quirky theory for what's happened to him since he suffered his first concussion back on June 12: Maybe it knocked something right.
Reddick continued his hot streak since returning from the disabled list, launching the decisive three-run homer in the eighth inning of Houston's 6-5 victory over Detroit at Comerica Park on Friday night as part of a season-high five-RBI game.
"He had the two sac flies and I told him, 'Go get another RBI,'" Astros manager A.J. Hinch said of his 30-year-old outfielder. "And he said, 'How about three?' So he had a good night."

Already having a career year -- he's in the top 10 among American League outfielders in batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage -- Reddick has been extra special since coming back from the seven-day DL in late June. He's hit safely in 22 of 24 starts with a .359 batting average, 17 extra-base hits and 29 RBIs.
His clutch home run against the Tigers also made him the 11th Astros player with double-digit home runs this season, tied with the 2004 Tigers, '15 Astros and '16 Twins for the most on one team in MLB history.
On June 12, Reddick went all-out for a fly ball and crashed into the right-field wall at Minute Maid Park. Airborne, he bounced off the padded wall before thudding hard on the warning track and smacking his head on the dirt. Two days later, the Astros placed Reddick on the DL.

"I felt like I was floating away from my body," he said.
In his return on June 20, Reddick had his first of three straight multihit games. He hasn't looked back since.

"I think it was just a matter of doing what I needed to do to get back, and that was doing nothing for three to four days," Reddick said. "The biggest thing is you can't lie to yourself. When you're doing these tests and you're feeling light-headed, you can't go to the training staff and say, 'Hey, I felt great.' And you walk out and you're still light-headed."
Regaining a clear head is certainly part of what's helped Reddick, who is in his first year with the Astros. Hinch praises Reddick's ability to compete in every at-bat, rarely leaving the strike zone to chase pitches. Reddick has swung and missed on just 3.37 percent of pitches outside the strike zone this season, according to Statcast™.

Maybe dealing with a concussion offered Reddick a sort of mental break that has since helped him turn in All-Star caliber numbers. Maybe not. But in a simple and quirky way, Reddick assessed some good that came from what was otherwise a scary injury.
"I know what [concussions] feel like now, so I know what not to push through," he said.