The Astros optioned Spence to Triple-A Sugar Land on Monday.
Spence had already begun to cede more starts in center field to Taylor Trammell over the past week, and the rookie's playing-time outlook would have worsened had he stuck around after the Astros acquired Daulton Varsho on Monday. The Astros have thus elected to send Spence back to Sugar Land, where he'll get the chance to play regularly. During his first taste of the big leagues, Spence slashed just .162/.244/.189 with a 36.6 percent strikeout rate over 41 plate appearances.