HOUSTON -- It was former Astros manager Dusty Baker who would often say, "If you stay ready, you don't have to get ready." That mantra has served rookie Zach Dezenzo quite well this season. Dezenzo, who made his Major League debut last August and posted a .648 OPS in 19 games, made his first Opening Day roster in 2025 and had played sparingly before this week's series against the Blue Jays. He started two of three games against Toronto and was 5-for-7 with three runs scored, including his first career three-hit game Wednesday. "I'm happy for him," Astros manager Joe Espada said. "This kid is resilient. He's been working his tail off. We've been talking through a lot these first three weeks, and he's been patient and he is showing that he can play a big role in our lineup moving forward." |
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Dezenzo started Monday at first base in place of veteran Christian Walker, who was given a "breather" by Espada, and started in right field Wednesday in place of fellow rookie Cam Smith. A shortstop in college at Ohio State, Dezenzo can play both corner positions in the outfield and infield. The Astros, of course, have Isaac Paredes at third base and Walker at first, so the opportunities to play there are scarce. In left field, it's either Jose Altuve or Yordan Alvarez starting, so there aren't many chances to play there, either. That leaves right field, where Smith parlayed a great spring into becoming the replacement for Kyle Tucker. Smith was slashing .226/.304/.403 with three homers and 10 RBIs in 62 at-bats entering Friday's game in Kansas City; Dezenzo was slashing .318/.375/.409 in only 22 at-bats. "I'm just excited and happy that I'm able to capitalize on the opportunities I'm getting," Dezenzo said earlier this week. "I know I'm going to continue to get some chances. It's about not trying too hard and just play[ing] baseball. I'll continue to work in the meantime, and good things are going to happen." |
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Dezenzo, 24, had only eight at-bats and one single in a 13-game stretch from April 6-20. Astros general manager Dana Brown even admitted the club might send him to Triple-A to get regular at-bats, but he's remained with Houston as a versatile option off the bench while waiting for his opportunity. "It's not easy having young players who want to be out there," Espada said. "I want to have them all out there. I came up in player development in my professional career and I understand the value of playing every day, but the way he's going about things and preparing every day and taking extra swings, working on his defense at first and in the outfield, I'm proud of him. It's not easy. And going out there against one of the best starters in the game [Dezenzo was 1-for-1 with an RBI double and a walk against Kevin Gausman on Monday] and putting those at-bats together, it was great to see." Dezenzo, who was drafted in the 12th round in 2022 and was the club's No. 5 prospect per MLB Pipeline entering the season, said he's leaned on some veteran players, including center fielder Jake Meyers and backup catcher Victor Caratini, for advice on how they have handled not playing as much early in their career. "[Meyers] has gone through it," Dezenzo said. "He wasn't an everyday guy [his] first couple of times in the big leagues, but he's been a huge guy to lean on. Caratini is another, and he can pinch-hit with the best of them. Having guys around me to talk to about that is a big plus to me." For Dezenzo, he's made sure to put in the work in the batting cage and on the field each day whether he's playing or not. He works with hitting coach Troy Snitker in the cage and sees different pitch shapes and types off a batting machine to stay as competitive as he can in his work. "It would be easy to overwork," Dezenzo said. "It's just kind of how I'm wired. Being able to just understand what I need to do on a daily basis and not try to do too much [is important], and knowing I've got the tools necessary to have success and just continue to work in a smart way." |
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MLB MORNING LINEUP PODCAST |
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Astros pitcher Nolan Ryan broke Walter Johnson's all-time strikeout record by whiffing which future Astros manager on April 27, 1983, in Montreal for strikeout No. 3,509? A) Dusty Baker B) Brad Mills C) Phil Garner D) Art Howe |
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Here's a look at some of the ways the Astros are helping to be environmentally conscious as we celebrate Major League Baseball's official Earth Day and MLB Green Week: • The Astros have converted the lighting on the suite level (including suites), the player parking garage, 80 percent of the ballpark restrooms and on-field light towers to LED lighting. • Switched disposable serviceware to eco-friendly material for food service. • Converted all urinal restroom fixtures on the suite level to waterless units to decrease water consumption. • Recycled 5,533 pounds of electronics waste, including televisions, computers, rackmounts, etc; baled and recycled 76 tons of cardboard from back of house operations; recycled more than 12,000 pounds of steel scrap metal from off-season renovation projects. • Donated 84 yards of grass and dirt from Daikin Park's resodding project to local Little League fields and farms. • Upgraded field grow lights to advanced LED technology to optimize turf growth while minimizing energy consumption. • Introduced the Turf Protection Cleaner, which reduces water usage when cleaning turf protection flooring as well as minimizes labor costs and cleaning time. • Donated excess promotional items to local school districts, providing students and educators with team memorabilia in addition to reducing waste. |
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B. Mills, who managed the Astros from 2010-12, whiffed on a Ryan curveball to become his record-setting strikeout. |
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