The Houston Astros turned to the minor leagues for some help with the stretch run approaching.
The team announced on Sunday infield prospect Alex Bregman was “selected to the Major League roster” and will join the team on Monday. The Astros also noted infielder Danny Worth was designated for assignment in the corresponding move.
The Astros drafted Bregman with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2015 draft, and he has quickly ascended to the major league level. The Astros announced that Bregman was promptly placed into the lineup for Monday’s game against the New York Yankees:
Abshire also said “call-up requests reached a crescendo after his performance at the All-Star Futures Game on July 10.” Bregman was only a home run away from the cycle after his initial three at-bats and looked quite comfortable against some of the elite prospects who represented the future of the league.
However, part of the issue blocking his immediate transition to the Astros was the fact his natural position of shortstop is occupied by Carlos Correa, who just so happened to win the American League Rookie of the Year in 2015. What’s more, second baseman Jose Altuve is locked in at his position, so consistent appearances in the middle infield weren’t a realistic possibility for Bregman.
Connor Byrne of MLB Trade Rumors said the team could look to use the youngster at third base or in the corner outfield.
For his part, Bregman was pleased with the opportunity, per Brian McTaggart of MLB.com: “Just very excited. I can’t wait to get to work and hopefully help contribute and help win games.”
Bregman continued, “It’s a dream come true. And I’m ready to get to work, keep my mouth shut [and] hopefully help contribute,” per McTaggart.
If he plays anything like he did in the minor leagues, he will contribute. He drilled 20 homers in 80 combined games at Double-A and Triple-A, per Abshire, and also finished with a .333 average and six long balls in 18 games with the Triple-A Fresno Grizzlies. The team wished him luck following Sunday’s news:
Keith Law of ESPN.com recently ranked Bregman as the top prospect in baseball, which is daunting to think about for the rest of the American League West considering Correa is 21 years old and Altuve and George Springer are both 26. Houston has put together a formidable young core that figures to compete for the foreseeable future.
Perhaps with the supporting cast in mind, manager A.J. Hinch urged that Bregman doesn’t have to be “Superman” upon his arrival, via Mark Berman of Fox 26 in Houston:
Houston is a season-best 10 games over .500 at 54-44 and only 2.5 games behind the Texas Rangers in the division as of Sunday. Adding Bregman to the lineup will only make the Astros more dangerous with postseason spots on the line.
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