Rookie shortstop Jonathan Villar, who suffered a sprained left thumb Tuesday attempting to steal a base, is expected to be ready to return at some point during the series against the Rangers. “The only player that’s not 100 percent is Villar,” GM Jeff Luhnow said. “We’re expecting him to return to play this weekend. … He’ll be wearing a splint when he’s not playing just to make sure he doesn’t bang it on something.” Appel decision coming soon Mark Appel, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2013 draft, is set to make one more start with Class A Quad Cities before the Astros decide if he’ll make another move [...]