Astros call up top prospect for Rangers series

This weekend is huge for Brice Matthews and the Houston Astros. The team has just called up their top infield prospect to the Major League roster for a key three-game series against the Texas Rangers. Matthews will make his MLB debut after a strong Triple-A showing.

Matthews, the Astros’ first-round pick at No. 28 overall in the 2023 MLB Draft from the University of Nebraska, is a local guy from Houston and a graduate of Atascocita High School. He kicked off this season as the Astros’ top infield prospect. His promotion comes when the Astros deal with a string of injuries, including losing shortstop Jeremy Peña in late June.

With Peña’s rib fracture, Shortstop is opened up with Short playing there, but his offensive production has been all over the place. Matthews has primarily played second base this season, and now he could plug into a regular role while José Altuve plays outfield to cover for the other absences in the lineup.

During his 73 games with the Triple-A Sugar Land Space Cowboys, Matthews put up a solid .283/.400/.476 slash line, hitting 10 home runs, driving in 39 RBIs, and stealing 25 bases. His combination of speed and power made him one of the standout players in the system. He was even set to play in the Futures Game in Atlanta before the Astros called him up.

Matthews has been on fire since June began, with a .298/.401/.504 line, four home runs, 16 RBIs, and nine steals over 31 games. His quick rise means the Astros have confidence he can deliver as they seek a postseason berth, and the AL West lead is that much closer.

With an impressive .876 OPS at Triple-A and notable defensive versatility, Matthews is now a valuable addition as Houston looks ahead to October. He’ll be able to show that he belongs and is ready to be a key player in the Astros’ long-term plans.