Astros Make the Obvious Move to Give Zach Cole His Shot

The Houston Astros made three roster moves on Monday ahead of their series with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The moves were basically straightforward, with the ending everyone saw coming.

Cole is Back, Johnson Is Out

The Astros called up outfielder Zach Cole from Triple-A Sugarland, designated Daniel Johnson for assignment and activated Zach Dezenzo from the IL before optioning him back to Triple-A. These are all just “make sense” moves.

Johnson was brought in as emergency depth when Jake Meyers, Joey Loperfiedo and Taylor Trammell all ended up on the IL list mid-April. Unfortunately, this is not a new story for the team, and yet it has been the headliner. Injuries. They just can’t seem to get away from them.

The injuries left the Astros with very limited options in the outfield and something had to be done.

Cole was on the IL as well after he suffered a broken toe March 26 in a Triple-A game.

Johnson was given an opportunity and he just couldn’t capitalize on it. In his 17 plate appearances, he produced a slash line of .143/.294/.143. No extra bases, no impact and ultimately no reason to keep the veteran on the team once a better option became available.

Johnson was out of options, so he had to be designated for assignment. This is really a tough ending for a guy who answered the phone when the team came calling. The numbers just left Houston no choice.

Cole Is the Player Houston Wanted

Cole, who is just 25 years old, slashed .279/.377/.539 with 19 home runs and 18 stolen bases across Double-A Corpus Christi and Triple-A Sugar Land last season. He then got himself a call-up to the Big League and he made the most of it.

He became just the fifth player in Astros history to homer in his first career at-bat. He launch a cutter over the right-field fence for a two-run shot in his debut.

1 pitch, 1 home run!

Zach Cole just homered on the first MLB pitch he saw 😱 pic.twitter.com/Ot4dsScs9O
— MLB (@MLB) September 12, 2025

Given that the team missed the playoffs for the first time in eight years in 2025, Cole’s stint was short. He ended with an .880 OPS and four home runs over 15 games.

Now, he gets to step up once again. The plan was surely to have Cole on the roster but his injury kept him derailed for a minute. Now that he is back, there isn’t room for Johnson.

Cole is capable of playing all three outfield spots, which would give manager Joe Espada some more choices across the board. The timing of all this couldn’t be better as the injuries have continued to plague what looked to be a capable team.

The Matthews Factor

Enter into the picture, Brice Matthews. He has largely assumed the position at center field and has been performing. After his breakout weekend in Boston when he hit a three-run homer and a walk that set up Cam Smith’s go-ahead hit, it looks like Matthews spot is secure.

Cole will have to enter the field, possibly through right-field or platoon situations, rather than be an everyday player at center.

The Dezenzo Move

Regular housekeeping saw the activation and immediate optioning of Zach Dezenzo. He was activated to clear his injury designation and then optioned straight to Triple-A Sugar Land to continue to develop his skills.

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