The Houston Astros reinstated utilityman Brice Matthews from the injured list Saturday, more than two months after he suffered a left knee sprain in a game at Texas.
Outfielder Jorge Barrosa was designated for assignment to clear spots on the active and 40-man rosters for Matthews, who was on the 60-day injured list.
Matthews, the Astros’ first-round pick in 2023, posted a .197/.250/.332 slash line in 82 games before his injury, starting games at center field, left field and second base. He injured his knee in the Astros’ final game before the All-Star break when he attempted a leaping catch at the center-field wall in Arlington. He was placed on the injured list July 17 and missed the team’s next 56 games.
Recently, Matthews played in seven games on a minor-league rehab assignment at Triple-A Sugar Land. He was 1-for-24 with 12 strikeouts in those rehab games while logging innings at second and third base and center and left field. The Astros, who entered Saturday with eight regular-season games left, figure to use Matthews as a bench piece or potential starter against left-handed pitching.
Barrosa appeared in four games for the Astros after being claimed off waivers from Arizona earlier this month, going 1-for-7 with two walks. He started two games for Houston, both in left field and with the Astros facing a left-handed starter. Matthews, a better defender than right-handed hitting outfielder Nelson Velázquez, could see similar usage along with providing coverage at multiple infield spots.