July 11: Per Chandler Rome of The Athletic, Meyers has been positioned on the 10-day IL with a proper calf pressure. It’s unclear how a lot time he’s anticipated to overlook however that opens an energetic roster spot for Matthews. Infielder/outfielder Zach Dezenzo has been transferred to the 60-day IL to open a 40-man spot. Dezenzo landed on the 10-day IL on June 1st resulting from left hand irritation. His 60-day depend is retroactive to that preliminary IL placement, so he could be reinstated on the finish of July.
July 10: The Astros are selling infield prospect Brice Matthews, experiences Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. The membership is off as we speak however he’ll be a part of them tomorrow. The Astros might want to choose him to the 40-man roster and open an energetic roster spot.
Matthews, 23, was the membership’s first-round decide two summers in the past. The Astros chosen him with the twenty eighth general decide of the 2023 draft and signed him with a bonus of just below $2.5MM. The Nebraska product drew reward from scouts for his well-rounded toolset and affected person method. Extra pessimistic evaluators expressed concern about his elevated swing-and-miss charges whereas questioning whether or not he had the arm power to stay on the left facet of the infield.
The righty-hitting infielder has lived as much as that profile this 12 months. He’s in his first full season at Triple-A after making a 12-game cameo there final 12 months. Matthews carries a .283/.400/.476 slash line by means of 325 plate appearances. He has linked on 10 house runs and stolen 25 bases in 31 makes an attempt. He has walked at a large 15.4% clip whereas placing out greater than 30% of the time. His common exit velocity and exhausting contact fee are each above the MLB averages. Matthews has proven an above-average energy/pace mixture, a willingness to work deep counts, and below-average contact abilities.
Drafted as a shortstop, Matthews has performed extra second base this 12 months. That’s additionally not stunning given the questions on his arm power. Matthews wouldn’t have a long-term path to taking part in time at shortstop on a staff with Jeremy Peña regardless. Peña is at present on the shelf with a damaged rib, pushing Mauricio Dubón extra regularly to the left facet of the infield. That has drawn Jose Altuve again in at second base, shifting Taylor Trammell into the beginning left subject position.
The Astros are going through one other potential injured checklist stint, as heart fielder Jake Meyers is being evaluated for a proper calf drawback. Matthews has two skilled innings of outfield expertise. It’s unlikely the Astros would throw him into outfield work. (They did push rookie Cam Smith from third base to proper subject, although he at the very least had a pair weeks to work on the market throughout Spring Coaching.) Enjoying Matthews at second base might transfer Altuve again to left subject and push Trammell to heart if Meyers is out of motion.
Matthews will stay beneath membership management for at the very least six full seasons after this one. He gained’t be eligible for arbitration for at the very least three years. There’s a good likelihood he’ll be optioned again to the minors sooner or later, particularly if Peña makes a fast return that strikes Dubón again to the keystone. Houston followers will get their first take a look at one of many group’s higher hitting prospects, who will step right into a membership that has constructed a 6.5 sport cushion within the AL West regardless of myriad accidents.
