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J.J. Matijevic

Astros Outright Bligh Madris, J.J. Matijevic

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The Astros have sent corner outfielders/first basemen Bligh Madris and J.J. Matijevic outright to Triple-A Sugar Land, tweets Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle. Both players went unclaimed on waivers after being designated for assignment on Opening Day.

Madris has yet to play a non-exhibition game in the Houston organization. The Astros acquired him from the Tigers over the offseason in a cash transaction. It continued an active few months on the transactional front, as Madris had gone from the Pirates to the Rays to Detroit via waivers or trade since September. The 27-year-old has only suited up at the MLB level with Pittsburgh, getting into 39 contests and hitting .177/.244/.265 through 123 plate appearances as a rookie last season.

It wasn’t the most exceptional debut, but the former ninth-round pick has played reasonably well in the minor leagues. He’s a career .265/.334/.415 hitter through parts of five minor league seasons. He’s been particularly effective in Triple-A, putting up a .284/.358/.470 line with 20 home runs in 719 plate appearances there.

Matijevic has spent his entire career with Houston. The Astros selected him in the second round out of the University of Arizona six years ago. The left-handed hitter worked his way up the professional ranks, compiling a .260/.337/.494 line over five minor league seasons. That includes a huge .285/.372/.561 showing with 16 homers in just 64 games for Sugar Land last year.

Those Triple-A numbers earned the 27-year-old his first big league call in 2022. Like Madris, he floundered in an initial brief look against MLB pitching. Matijevic managed a .209/.254/.328 line through 71 plate appearances. He struck out in 25 of those trips while walking just twice. Much of that time came as a pinch-hitter or in a brief look at designated hitter, which didn’t afford him many consistent reps against MLB arms.

Players who have previously been outrighted in their careers or have at least three years of major league service time can elect free agency after clearing waivers. Neither Madris nor Matijevic qualify, so both players will stick in the Houston organization. They’ll report to Sugar Land and try to work their way back into consideration for roster spots. Both would reach minor league free agency at the end of this season if they’re not added back to the 40-man roster.

Astros Designate J.J. Matijevic, Bligh Madris For Assignment

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The Astros announced Thursday that they’ve designated first baseman J.J. Matijevic and outfielder Bligh Madris for assignment. Their spots on the 40-man roster will go to third baseman/outfielder Corey Julks and catcher/first baseman Cesar Salazar, whose previously reported selections to the 40-man roster are now official.

Matijevic, 27, was Houston’s second-round pick back in 2017. He made his big league debut in 2022 but received only 71 plate appearances, during which he posted a dreary .209/.254/.328 slash with a pair of home runs but a 35.2% strikeout rate. Matijevic’s Triple-A track record is far more impressive. He’s totaled 599 plate appearances there across parts of two seasons, batting .263/.347/.530 with 32 home runs, 35 doubles, five triples, 14 steals (in 16 tries) and an 11% walk rate — albeit against a more concerning 27.7% strikeout rate.

Scouting reports on Matijevic praise his power and an improved approach in recent seasons, but there are questions remaining about his hit tool and lack of defensive upside. He’s played first base and left field in the minors, but he’s not a great defender at either position. He does have a pair of minor league options remaining, so a team looking for a lefty bat and perhaps some depth at first and/or in left field could take a look.

Madris, 27, made his big league debut in 2022, splitting the season between the Pirates and Rays. He didn’t appear in the Majors with Tampa Bay following a mid-September waiver claim but did log 39 games with the Pirates, struggling to a .177/.244/.265 batting line through his first 123 Major League plate appearances.

The lefty-swinging Madris, however, has been far better in Triple-A Indianapolis, where he notched a combined .297/.366/.510 batting line with 11 homers, 22 doubles and four triples. He has two option years remaining. Madris handled right-handed pitching particularly well in 2022, batting .272/.345/.492 between the big leagues and Triple-A. He’s played primarily right field but does have some experience in the other two outfield slots and at first base. Madris had a solid spring, batting .273/.385/.333 in 39 plate appearances with the Astros.

Houston will have a week to trade both players or else attempt to pass them through outright waivers.

Astros To Select Corey Julks, César Salazar

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The Astros informed reporters of a handful of roster decision this afternoon (relayed by Brian McTaggart of MLB.com and Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle). Most notably, outfielder/third baseman Corey Julks and catcher/first baseman César Salazar are making the Opening Day roster. Neither player is yet on the 40-man roster, so the club will have to formally select their contracts in the next few days.

Houston will carry three catchers to start the season, as backstop Yainer Diaz is also breaking camp behind veteran starter Martín Maldonado. Díaz is already on the 40-man after making his MLB debut late last season. Catcher Korey Lee, outfielder Bligh Madris, infielder/outfielder J.J. Matijevic and infielder Rylan Bannon were all optioned, while non-roster invitees Dixon Machado, Justin Dirden, Austin Davis and Ty Buttrey were reassigned to the minor leagues.

Julks is a Texas native who attended the University of Houston. An eighth-round pick by his hometown club in 2017, he’s played five minor league seasons. The 27-year-old had a strong season with Triple-A Sugar Land last year, hitting .270/.351/.503 with 31 home runs and 22 stolen bases in 27 attempts. Baseball America slotted him as the #27 prospect in the Houston system this offseason as a result, the first time he’d placed among the organization’s top 30 farmhands. The outlet credits him with roughly average tools across the board and suggests he could step immediately step in as a fourth outfielder. He’ll earn that opportunity after a .275/.318/.550 showing in 40 plate appearances this spring.

Salazar, also 27, was a seventh-round pick in 2018 out of the University of Arizona. The 5’9″ backstop spent the majority of last season with Double-A Corpus Christi. He posted a solid .277/.350/.489 line while connecting on 16 longballs in 85 games. Salazar only walked at a 6.8% clip but kept his strikeouts down to a modest 16.5% rate. While he only has 18 games of Triple-A experience, the Astros are confident he’ll be able to handle the jump to take on big league arms. He’ll add a left-handed bat to the bench and give skipper Dusty Baker some added flexibility to sub out Maldonado for a pinch-hitter as long as Houston carries three catchers.

Diaz is one of the organization’s best offensive prospects. The 24-year-old only got into six MLB contests last year but combined for a .306/.356/.542, 25-homer showing in the minors. He adds a bat-first complement to Maldonado behind the dish and could also see occasional starts at first base or designated hitter.

Houston will need to create a pair of spots on the 40-man roster. Placing second baseman Jose Altuve on the 60-day injured list feels like an inevitability, as he won’t begin baseball activities for two months after fracturing his thumb. Starting pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. could be another 60-day IL candidate as he’s slowed by a forearm strain, though general manager Dana Brown was noncommittal on that possibility today (via Rome).

Astros Select David Hensley, Designate Jonathan Bermudez

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6:00PM: Houston officially announced the selection of Hensley’s contract.  In corresponding moves, first baseman J.J. Matijevic was optioned to Triple-A and left-hander Jonathan Bermudez was designated for assignment.

Bermudez was a 23rd-round pick for the Astros in the 2018 draft.  The lefty reached Triple-A for the first time in 2021, but has badly struggled at the top minor league level this season, posting an 8.96 ERA over 67 1/3 innings, allowing 16 home runs.

2:30PM: The Astros are calling up utility player David Hensley, reports Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle. Hensley is not currently on Houston’s 40-man roster, meaning a corresponding move of some kind will be required to open a spot for him.

Hensley, 26, has never been a highly-touted prospect, having been selected by the Astros in the 26th round of the 2018 draft. However, he has increased his stock immensely in the past two seasons. Last year, he played 105 games at Double-A, slashing .293/.369/.439, production that amounted to a wRC+ of 118, or 18% better than league average. This year, he’s taken another step forward, slashing .298/.420/.478 in 104 Triple-A games. He’s increased his walk rate to an incredible 17.2% after being at 10.3% last year.

Beyond his work at the plate, Hensley also brings defensive versatility, having played all four infield positions this year, in addition to a brief showing in left field. There’s also the speed element, as he stole 11 bags last year and 20 already this season. All told, he should bring a well-rounded game up to Houston. Baseball America recently ranked him the #11 prospect in the team’s system, which was the first time he cracked one of their top 30 lists.

The Astros placed Aledmys Diaz on the injured list earlier this week, which left Mauricio Dubon as the club’s primary utility player. However, Dubon appeared to injure himself during last night’s game, crashing into the outfield wall while attempting to make a catch. It’s unclear if Dubon will require a stint on the injured list, but it seems the club will add Hensley to the roster for support either way.

Astros Place Jose Altuve On Injured List, Select J.J. Matijevic

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The Astros announced today that Jose Altuve has been placed on the injured list with a left hamstring strain. J.J. Matijevic had his contract selected to take Altuve’s place on the active roster. To make space on the 40-man, Taylor Jones was transferred from the 10-day to the 60-day IL.

Altuve had been removed from Monday’s game with the hamstring issue and then sat out yesterday’s game. Although it appeared that Altuve might just miss a few games, it now appears the club will give him a stint on the IL to get healed up. He’s off to a slow start this year, hitting just .167/.268/.250 in his first 41 plate appearances.

Matijevic, 26, will make his MLB debut as soon as he gets into a game. Selected by the Astros 75th overall in the 2017 draft, Matijevic was recently ranked the #39 prospect in the organization by Baseball America. Their report praised the power in his bat but noted that he needed to improve his first base defense. He’s off to a torrid start at the plate this year, hitting four home runs in his first 11 games and slashing .310/.420/.714. While primarily a first baseman, he’s also seen significant time in left field.

Jones was placed on the 10-day IL a couple of weeks ago with a lower back injury, though it now appears it’s serious enough to keep him on the shelf until at least June.

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