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There are times when a prospect gets called up because an injury, regression from the incumbent, or trade forces a team to make a move for better or worse. Sometimes, it happens because that player is playing so well that holding him down just doesn't make sense any more. For Houston Astros infield prospect Brice Matthews, it appears that both factors are in play.
In an ideal world, Matthews would be left-handed and the Astros would have called him up weeks ago. However, second base has been an issue offensively for much of the season and All-Star shortstop Jeremy Peña is currently out with a broken rib. Apparently the Astros got tired of sitting on their hands and are dealing with the issue by calling up Matthews who will make his MLB debut on Friday against the Rangers.
Source: The Astros are calling up No. 1 prospect Brice Matthews to join the team Friday, MLB. com has learned. Matthews is slashing .283/.400/.476 with 10 homers, 39 RBIs and 25 steals at Triple-A, while playing mostly 2B. Matthews was set to play in Futures Game.
— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) July 10, 2025
Astros calling up top prospect Brice Matthews in a stunning, but deserved twist
Matthews has been crushing down at Triple-A this season. The Astros' 2023 first round pick out of Nebraska has posted an .876 OPS across 73 games and he just seems to be getting even better. Over his last 14 games, Matthews is slashing .333/.446/.500 and apparently Houston just couldn't keep him in the minors any longer.
Unfortunately, Matthews getting called up to the majors will keep him from participating in the Futures Game. While Astros fans might be slightly bummed to have less Astros representation in the Futures Game, we feel pretty confident that they will take this trade-off pretty much every single time.
However the Astros decide to employ Matthews, odds are that their lineups are about to get a significant boost. Once Peña and Yordan Alvarez returns from their injuries, the Astros might now be the team to beat.