The Astros are at the top of the AL West with a record of 56–40. But there is a lineup problem behind that headline number. And Houston has been doing everything to have it all. Just now, when it seems to be all settled down. Could their best prospect, who just had a taste of life in the big leagues, be sent back?
The 23-year-old with 76 homers and an OPS of .876 from the minors made his debut before the All-Star game. He was the Astros’ best prospect and was picked in the first round of the 2023 draft. He made his MLB debut on July 11, 2025, as the team’s starting second baseman. But soon after, there’s been a lot of whisper about what would happen to him next.
The mystery rookie is Brice Matthews. It’s not even 10 days, and the front office might send him to Triple-A. But why?
According to Zachary Rotman of FanSided, “When Pena returns, there’s a good chance the Astros will use Mauricio Dubon regularly at second base, forcing Matthews to the bench. Rather than letting their top prospect sit on the bench, the Astros would simply be better off demoting him back to Triple-A, giving him more time to develop.”
Credit: Sugar Land Space Cowboys/astrosfuture.com
Well, Matthews came to the Astros at a time when their main players were on the IL, including Jeremy Pena, Jake Meyers and Zach Dezenzo. Houston made its move with second base being a revolving door. Instead of making any trade, with the deadline approaching, they called up their best prospect and put him in the lineup. But now they have to send him to Triple-A sooner than they thought.
Since his debut, he has gone 0-for-7 and five strikeouts, which doesn’t look great. But the manager, Joe Espada, was looking optimistic when asked about his debut performance against the Rangers. He went 0 for 4 and three strikeouts.
Espada said, “I just want him to build from that last at‑bat. He hit that ball hard. You could take a lot of positives from today. … He handled himself really well.” And the rookie himself echoed the same sentiment as the manager. Matthew said, “I feel like as the night went on my at‑bats got better, I got more comfortable out there.”
But those numbers don’t justify his capability with a slash of .283/.400/.476 at Triple-A. Guess he just needs more time on the plate.
As Rotman wrote, “seven-at-bat sample size isn’t nearly large enough to come to any conclusions, but given Matthews’ astronomical strikeout rate in the Minor Leagues, it felt as if he wasn’t exactly ready for the Majors to begin with.”
Now the question is, will they keep him in the majors, or will he go back? Well, that’s something only the front office knows. Matthews was their internal solution. But the Astros are also looking at outside solutions to fix their biggest problem.
With outfield woes exposed, Astros’ trade radar locks onto Luis Robert Jr.
The Houston Astros are in first place, but their lineup is missing something. And it is depth in the outfield. Because Jacob Melton and Jake Meyers are in IL, José Altuve has had to play left field, which has shown up holes in the defense. His -1.5 DWAR and five errors show that there is a greater problem coming up as the postseason gets closer.
MLB, Baseball Herren, USA Game One-Cleveland Guardians at Chicago White Sox Jul 11, 2025 Chicago, Illinois, USA Chicago White Sox center fielder Luis Robert Jr. 88 hits a two-run home run against the Cleveland Guardians during the second inning of game one of a doubleheader at Rate Field. Chicago Rate Field Illinois USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xKamilxKrzaczynskix 20250711_KSK_kb1_013
Houston is lucky that there are so many good outfielders on the trade market. Luis Robert Jr. has been in the news for weeks, and if the White Sox decide to trade him, the Astros will be the first team to call. His acquisition might give an outfield that is short on both power and stability.
Houston is also looking at beginning pitching, but the outfield is still their first focus. Even when Melton, Meyers, and Cam Smith are all healthy, they might not be able to handle the strain of October because they haven’t played together before. That’s why the next two weeks before the deadline are very important for the Houston front office.
The team has relied on young players like Brice Matthews while making changes to the roster. But it will need more than just potential to win another World Series.
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