Flurry of Thursday moves
C Tyler Heineman will get his first taste of Triple-A.
The Astros made a series of roster moves affecting the Hooks’ roster Thursday, starting with the promotions of LHP Mitch Lambson and C Tyler Heineman to Triple-A Fresno. This marks the first Triple-A venture for both players. Lambson, 24, leaves the Hooks with a 2-1 record and a 2.60 ERA in 11 assignments. He struck out 18 against 4 walks in 17.1 innings with the Texas League hitting .242 against him. The Scottsdale southpaw, whose retired 18 of the last 19 batters he’s faced, has kept the opposition off the scoreboard in his previous 5 assignments, striking out 11 in 8.0 innings of work. Dating back to 2014, Lambson stands 5-2 with a 1.79 ERA in 34 Texas League appearances, fanning 53 batters against 9 walks in 50.1 innings.
Heineman, 23, was hitting .318 with 7 doubles and 5 RBIs in 22 games for the Hooks. He worked 8 walks and struck out just 6 times in 85 at-bats for a .383 on-base percentage. The switch-hitting backstop notched hits in 18 of 22 contests, reaching base in 20 of those affairs. Heineman, who departs the circuit riding a 7-game hit streak, threw out 7 of 13 runners attempting to steal for a .538 caught-stealing percentage.
Also leaving Corpus Christ’s roster is RHP Daniel Minor, who was given his unconditional release.
To fill the three roster spots Houston has promoted RHP Michael Feliz and LHP Chris Cotton to Corpus Christi from Lancaster and C Trent Woodward has been assigned to the Hooks out of extended spring training. C Luis Flores, who began the year with Fresno, is also on Corpus Christi’s roster, but he is on the Hooks’ inactive list. A former
Moody Trojan, Flores was picked up by the Astros in the Triple-A phase of the Rule 5 Draft this past December. The 28-year-old was originally selected by the Cubs in the 7th round of the 2008 draft.
RHP Michael Feliz is one of the top prospects in Houston’s system.
Feliz, 21, entered the season as Houston’s No. 5 prospect, according to MLB.com. A member of the Astros’ 40-man roster, Feliz was 1-1 with a 4.41 ERA in 8 games (5 starts) for the JetHawks. He struck out 33 and walked 12 in 32.2 innings, holding the California League to 2 home runs and a .246 batting average. Feliz allowed a season-high 5 runs in 4.2 IP Tuesday vs. High Desert. He had held the league to 2 earned runs or less in each of his prior 6 starts. Feliz pitched for Quad Cities of the Midwest League in 2014, going 8-6 with a 4.03 ERA in 25 games (19 starts). He struck out 111 against 37 walks in 102.2 IP.
Cotton, 24, was 1-2 with a 1.40 ERA and went 4-for-4 in save chances over 13 appearances for Lancaster to begin the season. The Shreveport southpaw owns 37 strikeouts and 7 walks in 25.2 innings, with the league hitting at a .206 clip and 2 home runs. Cotton, a 14th-round pick out of LSU in 2013, has not allowed an earned run in his last 7 appearances (16.0 IP). He pitched between Quad Cities and Lancaster last year, going 2-3 with a 4.01 ERA and 3 saves in 35 games (1 start).
Woodward, 23, hit .234 with 2 home runs and 14 RBIs in 27 games at Rookie-level Greeneville last year. He was selected in the 20th round of the 2014 draft out of California State – Fresno.
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