Melton is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Orioles.
Melton and Jesus Sanchez will head to the bench while the Orioles send lefty Trevor Rogers to the bump. Chas McCormick will replace Melton in center field and bat ninth.
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Astros' Jacob Melton: Sitting against righty
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Melton is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Tigers, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Before sitting against ace left-hander Tarik Skubal in the Astros' 1-0 loss Tuesday, the left-handed-hitting Melton had been included in the lineup in each of the Tigers' previous three matchups with righties. However, he went just 1-for-10 with a 0:7 BB:K in those contests, and he'll remain on the bench Wednesday as Detroit sends a righty (Charlie Morton) to the bump for the series finale. Taylor Trammell will get the starting nod in center field at Melton's expense.
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Astros' Jacob Melton: Getting regular run in center field
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Melton will start in center field and bat eighth in Sunday's game against the Orioles, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
Melton will stick in the starting nine for the fourth time in five games. Though he may have the opportunity to handle a strong-side platoon role in center field until Jake Meyers (calf) returns from the injured list, Melton is slashing just .200/.250/.244 with a 39.6 percent strikeout rate over his first 48 big-league plate appearances.
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Astros' Jacob Melton: Optioned to Triple-A
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The Astros optioned Melton to Triple-A Sugar Land on Friday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
The Astros' No. 2 prospect, Melton slashed .206/.270/.265 with one triple, six RBI, three runs scored, three stolen bases and a 3:14 BB:K across his first 37 big-league plate appearances this season. Following the team's acquisition of Jesus Sanchez at the trade deadline, Melton will go get more at-bats in the minors.
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Astros' Jacob Melton: Idle for series finale
Rotowire
Melton is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Nationals.
After starting in center field in the first two games of the series following his return from the injured list, the left-handed-hitting Melton will hit the bench while the Nationals send southpaw MacKenzie Gore to the hill for the series finale. Chas McCormick will check in for Melton in center field.
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Astros' Jacob Melton: Beginning rehab assignment
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Melton (ankle) will begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Sugar Land on Thursday, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.
After spending more than a month on the injured list due to a sprained right ankle, Melton has finally been given the green light to return to a competitive environment. It remains unknown how long the Astros plan to keep the 24-year-old in the minors, but he may still have enough time to return to the active roster before the end of July.
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Astros' Jacob Melton: Taking part in baseball activities
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Melton (ankle) recently transitioned his rehab program to the Astros' spring training facility in Florida and is in the midst of hitting, running and throwing progressions, MLB.com reports.
Melton hit .241 with no home runs and three stolen bases in 11 games with Houston before landing on the injured list June 14 due to a right ankle sprain. The outfielder could be ready to begin a rehab assignment shortly after the All-Star break, but the Astros haven't yet offered up a definitive target date for his return from the IL.
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Astros' Jacob Melton: Swipes second bag
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Melton went 0-for-4 with a stolen base Sunday against the Guardians.
Melton has started six of seven games since being recalled from Triple-A Sugar Land. He has only three hits across 20 at-bats while striking out eight times, though he also has two stolen bases, two RBI and two runs scored.
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Astros' Jacob Melton: Sitting Saturday
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Melton is not in the Astros' starting lineup against the Guardians on Saturday, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Melton has started in each of the Astros' last five games since making his major-league debut this past Sunday, and he recorded the first RBI of his career against the Pirates on Thursday. He'll be in the dugout for the beginning of Saturday's game while Jose Altuve, Jake Meyers and Mauricio Dubon man the outfield for Houston.
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Astros' Jacob Melton: Picks up first RBI of career
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Melton went 2-for-4 with two RBI and a stolen base during Thursday's 8-2 win over the Pirates.
Melton picked up a couple of career firsts in Friday's big win. First, he picked up the first two RBI of his big-league career with a two-run single. Then, he showed off his speed and stole second for the first stolen base of his career. The 24-year-old has started five straight games since his promotion, seeing time at all three outfield spots, and Melton should continue to get an extended look with Yordan Alvarez (hand) on the injured list for the foreseeable future and the Jose Altuve experiment in left field losing steam.
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Astros' Jacob Melton: Still working through groin issue
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Melton hasn't played in a game with Triple-A Sugar Land since April 17 due to a groin injury, MLB.com reports.
Melton has battled the groin injury since the start of the season, but he has not been on the injured list since April 9. It's unclear when he'll be able to retake the field more consistently, and there has been little information provided by the team.
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Astros' Jacob Melton: Returns from IL
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Melton (back) has gone 4-for-21 with two home runs, two doubles, three walks and a stolen base over six games since being reinstated from Triple-A Sugar Land's 7-day injured list April 9.
Melton missed only a handful of games to begin the season while he tended to a back injury that he aggravated in the Astros' final Grapefruit League game. The 24-year-old is capable of playing all three outfield spots and is a plus runner with decent power, but his ability to handle a full-time role at the big-league level may hinge on him cutting down on strikeouts. He struck out in 25.4 percent of his plate appearances at Triple-A Sugar Land in 2024 and has already struck out seven times in 24 plate appearances (29.2 percent) this season.
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Astros' Jacob Melton: Nursing sore back
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Melton is dealing with mild back soreness, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
It sounds like a day-to-day type injury. One of the Astros' top prospects, Melton is not yet on the 40-man roster but should push to debut sooner rather than later, particularly with the team's lack of outfield depth. He slashed .253/.310/.426 with 15 home runs and 30 stolen bases between Double-A Corpus Christi and Triple-A Sugar Land in 2024.
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Astros' Jacob Melton: Moves up to Triple-A
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The Astros promoted Melton from Double-A Corpus Christi to Triple-A Sugar Land on Thursday, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
Melton has slashed a rather pedestrian .248/.307/.443 with 10 home runs and 19 stolen bases over 58 games with Corpus Christi this season, although his production could have been hampered somewhat by a wrist injury he dealt with earlier in the year. The 23-year-old can play all three outfield spots and offers a fantasy-friendly skill set with some power and plenty of speed, although he'll probably have to wait until 2025 before he debuts in the majors.
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Astros' Jacob Melton: Moves to Double-A
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Melton was promoted from High-A Asheville to Double-A Corpus Christi on Monday, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
Melton hit only .244 over 86 games with Asheville, but he also recorded a .338 on-base percentage, 18 home runs and 41 steals. The Astros saw enough from the 22-year-old to determine that he was ready for a stiffer test.
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Astros' Jacob Melton: Running wild at High-A
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Melton is slashing .232/.337/.443 with 14 home runs and 30 steals in 62 games for High-A Asheville.
Melton turns 23 in September and is playing half his games in the extremely hitter-friendly park in Asheville, so this statistical output is essentially him meeting expectations. A physical and athletic 6-foot-3 outfielder, Melton brings an intriguing combination of power and speed to the table, and we should learn more about the viability of his hit tool once he starts facing age-appropriate pitching at Double-A.
