Astros Outfield Prospect Sidelined Indefinitely With Broken Toe After HBP

The Houston Astros' No. 11 prospect, outfielder Zach Cole, was hit by a pitch on his right foot on Sunday night.

In the fourth inning of Triple-A Sugar Land's game, the hit by pitch broke a toe, and he will be sidelined indefinitely per MLB.com's Brian McTaggart. He was subsequently taken out of the game.

Despite the scary wording of "indefinitely," broken toes are an easier injury to recover from, but manager Joe Espada brought a little more clarity on Tuesday evening.

"it will take a little bit for him to get back on the field," Espada said to reporters, including The Athletic's Chandler Rome on X (formerly Twitter).

Assuming it's not horrific, he could play within a month or two, depending on pain levels. No matter the timeline, Houston will be missing a prospect with an enormous ceiling.

After smashing his way through Triple-A and shining in 15 games with the Astros last season, Cole has struggled severely to open the season. He was just 1-9 with a homer, two walks, and four RBI.

Cole was instrumental in his two-week stint with Houston last September. He smashed four homers, drove in 11 RBI, and compiled a .880 OPS. He began his career with a two-run shot in his first career MLB at-bat. He went 3-4 with a homer, four RBI, and two runs scored in his MLB debut on September 12.

Zach Cole's incredible ceiling has been held back

Sep 15, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros right fielder Zach Cole (16) reacts after hitting a two run home run to rig — Erik Williams-Imagn Images

Throughout his career, he's flashed his elite power and speed combo, but also racked up massive amounts of strikeouts. His 155 punch-outs in 2023 were the floor of his strikeout rate through three full professional seasons thus far.

In 2024, he posted a 37.7% strikeout rate through 76 games, which turned into 35.1% last year. Despite the strikeouts, he has an incredibly high ceiling. The Astros 2022 10th-round pick acquired a $97,500 signing bonus to play out of college.

That far into the draft, teams are taking shots on guys with a low percentage chance at turning into something, and Cole made the most of it.

Cole was the final outfielder optioned to Triple-A this spring after he posted a .200/.340/.400 slash line over 16 games. He was third in the league in strikeouts. His teammate, Taylor Trammell, spent 52 games with the Astros last season but failed to make the opening day roster.

One of the Astros' top prospects, Brice Matthews, has also been moved to the outfield recently to get his bat into the lineup. Once Cole returns, the others will be more established as he attempts to catch up.