Joining the big-league club:
- Recent waiver-wire acquisition and ex-Twin (the baseball team, not the childbirth thing), Samuel Deduno, aged 31.
- 24 year old AAA starting pitcher, Nick Tropeano (3.03 ERA, 3.81 FIP, 8.66 K/9, 2.38 BB/9, 124.2IP). Tropeano will be making his debut at the Major League level.
- 27 year old AAA relief pitcher, Jorge De Leon (2.63 ERA, 2.97 FIP, 8.06 K/9, 3.00 BB/9, 8IP). De Leon threw 10 innings in the majors for the Astros last year, recording a 5.40 ERA.
- 23 year-old AAA catcher Max Stassi (.247/.296/.378). Stassi recorded 8 plate appearances in the Major Leagues last year. Stassi drove in his first career RBI last year when he was hit in the face with bases loaded by Tanner Scheppers.
- 23 year old Jonathan Villar, who opened the season in Houston, but was demoted to AAA after 247 plate appearances. At the time, he was batting .200/.255/.342. He went on to record a triple-slash of .258/.363/.347 at AAA Oklahoma City. Interestingly, on May 4 he had the highest slugging percentage on the Astros, only to crater for the rest of May and look totally lost at the plate.
- 24 year old L.J. Hoes, with whom we are all familiar. His year in AAA yielded a triple-slash of .297/.381/.391, and his 134 PA in Houston this year yielded a .175/.233/.292 line, but an awesome walk off home run against the Athletics on his mother's birthday (July 23).
- 29 year old LHP Darin Downs, also with whom we are all familiar, rejoins the team after the conclusion of his rehabilitation assignment for a strained oblique muscle. This year for Houston, he sports a 4.31 ERA, but a 3.29 FIP. He has been striking batters out at a 6.61 K/9 clip, and has walked 4.02 per nine this year.
The Astros' 40-man roster was full before these moves were made. Max Stassi, Jonathan Villar, L.J. Hoes and Darin Downs were already on the 40-man, so a simple promotion was all that was needed. Samuel Deduno's spot on the 40-man was created with the move of Josh Zeid to the 60-day DL. Nick Tropeano and Jorge De Leon both needed roster spots. To clear two spots, the Astros designated Paul Clemens and David Martinez for assignment. More to follow once we learn the fate of those two players.
