George Springer is back and ready for battle in UConn football helmet

The Houston Astros lineup is about to become a little stronger and a lot more dynamic with the return of George Springer.

The 25-year-old outfielder was activated from the disabled list on Friday after missing two months with a fractured right wrist.

[Play a Daily Fantasy contest for cash today!]

Springer figures to be in the lineup for all three games of their important weekend series against the Minnesota Twins, and based on his gear in the Astros clubhouse he's more than ready for battle.

Maybe a little too ready.

Actually, the New Britain, CT native is just showing support for the University of Connecticut football team. Springer spent three years in Storrs playing on the UConn baseball team, building his reputation and becoming a top college baseball prospect. He was named to the Baseball America Freshman All-America First Team in 2009, and also earned Big East Player of the Year honors in 2011, before being selected 11th overall by Houston in the 2011 draft.

So he's not confused and he's certainly not looking to try out for the Houston Texans any time soon. He's just showing love to his former school.

Speaking of which, Astros fans will be ready to show Srpinger some love when he's announced on Friday. With the AL West race tightening up, they're going to need Springer's presence to help hold off the surging Texas Rangers and the still breathing Los Angeles Angels.

In Springer, they add a well-rounded offensive player to the mix. In 75 games this season before the injury, he was batting .264/.365/.457 with 13 homers and 14 steals. It may be difficult to rely on his power returning in full force given the wrist injury, but he should be able to lengthen the lineup, get on base and create some offense with his wheels.

It definitely fortifies their outfield defensively. With Carlos Gomez in center field and Colby Rasmus manning left field, they essentially have three men capable of playing center field in the same outfield. That means a lot will be covered, which is great news for Houston's pitching staff.

[Bryce Harper's odd night: 0-for-0, four runs scored and an RBI. Huh? Read all about it.]

The Astros still have 13 games remaining against the Rangers and Angels. With the Rangers just two games back and the Angels hanging around at 5 1/2 behind, the AL West is far from decided. How the division plays out will also have a major impact on the wild-card standings. The West runner-up is not guaranteed a postseason position, so it's of utmost importance for the Astros to be at full strength for the stretch run.

More MLB coverage from Yahoo Sports:

- - - - - - -

Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at bigleaguestew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Townie813