Former Astros prospect gets shot with Reds

In April of last season, the Houston Astros promoted two prospects to the 40-man roster, as a handful of regular players hit the COVID-19 injured list. One of those prospects was Ronnie Dawson — an outfield slugging at the alternate training site.

Dawson made his debut, totaling five at-bats in three games played. The lefty reached base twice with a single and a walk. Once the regulars returned, Dawson and Alex De Goti avoided waivers and were sent outright to Triple-A Sugar Land.

The outfielder went cold following the first few months of the 2021 season, finishing the year with a .715 OPS. While Jose Siri, Jake Meyers and Bryan De La Cruz all saw their major-league debuts by year’s end, Dawson’s chances of returning to the majors with Houston were slim.

The Astros unprotected Dawson prior to the minor-league phase of the Rule 5 Draft on Dec. 8 this offseason. Dawson was selected by the Cincinnati Reds, a team he followed in his youth as an Ohio native.

The Reds selected the contract of Ronnie Dawson on Wednesday, giving the former Astros prospect a second chance in the majors.

While the Reds’ chances of turning their season around are slim, moving forward with prospects may better the club’s chances for the future. On Wednesday, the Reds’ selected Dawson’s contract from Triple-A, following a productive 26 games at the plate.

In 96 at-bats, Dawson slashed .281/.373/.458 with four home runs and five doubles, playing over 120 innings at the corner outfield positions. Since his promotion, Dawson has totaled three at-bats in one game played with two strikeouts.

The Astros’ outfield didn’t hold a spot for the 26-year-old, while more prospects now house his position in Sugar Land. With a rebuilding team like Cincinnati, Dawson will have a stronger case to remain at the major-league level and further his professional career.