The Houston Astros assigned seven selections from the 2022 Major League Baseball Draft to Single-A Fayetteville on Monday afternoon. Prior to the off-day moves, only sixth-rounder Collin Price had received the call to the Woodpeckers.
First-round pick center fielder Drew Gilbert headlined the moves after he went 5-for-11 in the Florida Complex League with a double, a home run, four RBI, three stolen bases and three walks to two strikeouts.
Tenth-rounder Zach Cole and 13th-rounder Jackson Loftin were also promoted from the FCL Astros. Cole went 3-for-20 with a double, an RBI, two stolen bases and six walks before his reassignment. Playing both center field and left field, he will rotate around Fayetteville's outfield with Gilbert.
Loftin also flashed versatility for the FCL Astros Blue, manning third base and shortstop in his four games. The righty slapped four hits in 16 at-bats with two RBI, a stolen base and a walk to five strikeouts.
On the other side, four draftees skipped the FCL — 12th-rounder Zach Dezenzo, 14th-rounder Tommy Sacco, 17th-rounder Garrett McGowan and 20th-rounder Ryan Wrobleski. Sacco was scheduled to play in the FCL on Monday but informed Inside The Astros he was being sent to Single-A instead.
Among the shuffle in the lower affiliates, Triple-A Sugar Land and Double-A Corpus Christi received some expected promotions. Justin Dirden finally received his call to the Space Cowboys, and Quincy Hamilton climbed to his third minor league level this summer.
Dirden slashed .324/.411/.616 with 32 doubles and 20 home runs for the Hooks. A 2020 undrafted free agent, the 25-year-old reaches Triple-A for the first time. The Space Cowboys went down an outfielder following Pedro León's injury Saturday.
Hamilton was promoted to Double-A on Saturday and made his Hooks debut Sunday, going 0-for-4. But between Fayetteville and Asheville this year, the 2021 fifth-round pick has slashed .305/.421/.502 with even better split for the Tourists.
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