Astros call up No. 1 prospect Brice Matthews, will start him at second base on Friday

The Houston Astros are calling up their No. 1 minor-league prospect to provide a boost for their offense. Second baseman Brice Matthews has been called up from Triple-A Sugar Land and is in the starting lineup for Friday's matchup with the Texas Rangers, batting eighth.

Matthews, 23, was Houston's 2023 first-round pick (No. 28 overall) out of Nebraska. This season, he's hit .283/.400/.476 with 12 doubles, 10 home runs, 39 RBI and 25 stolen bases in 325 plate appearances. Matthews is the Astros' top prospect, as ranked by MLB.com.

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He had been selected to play in Saturday's MLB All-Star Futures Game before the call-up.

Astros manager Joe Espada said the plan is to play Matthews every day, possibly mixing him in at shortstop — where he's played the majority of his college and minor-league career — in addition to second base.

"We know he's a threat on the bases, he's driving the ball," Espada told reporters. "I think he brings a dynamic intensity on both sides of the ball, to the lineup right now."

Strikeouts have been a problem for Matthews, which Espada said he's been working on since the offseason. He has 98 in 269 at-bats this season. Last year, he totaled 108 strikeouts in 287 at-bats as he progressed through each level of the Astros' system, going from rookie league to Triple-A.

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As Espada alluded to, Matthews should bring more offense to second base. This season, Houston is getting a collective .223 batting average from the position, fourth-worst in the American League and 24th in MLB. Their .642 OPS is fifth-worst in the AL. The Astros moved Jose Altuve from second base to left field before the season, in an effort to prolong his career and add depth to the lineup.

Matthews will take the active roster spot of outfielder Jake Meyers, who was placed on the 10-day injured list with a calf strain.