Inside the Astros

Houston Astros Top Prospect Suffers Injury After Taking Ground Ball To His Face

The Houston Astros No. 5 prospect suffered a face injury after being hit by a ground ball.

Cameron Zunkel

Mar 14, 2025; West Palm Beach, Florida, USA; Houston Astros infielder Zach Dezenzo (9) round the bases after hitting a home run in the fourth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches.
Mar 14, 2025; West Palm Beach, Florida, USA; Houston Astros infielder Zach Dezenzo (9) round the bases after hitting a home run in the fourth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches. / Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
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If a young top prospect is still in big league camp at this point of spring training, that means they have a chance to make the Opening Day roster.

That is exactly the case for the No. 5 prospect in the Houston Astros organization.

Zach Dezenzo is having a monster spring.

The 24-year-old is slashing .378/.410/.622 with two home runs, six RBI and seven runs scored in 15 games.

In the field, Dezenzo has played the corner outfield positions and first base. He also has the ability to play third base if needed. He has made an error at first, but overall, he is a pretty good defender at all positions.

With all that said, the former 12th-round pick was in line to make the Opening Day roster.

The problem was manager Joe Espada would have to make a decision on where to routinely play him.

Jose Altuve moved to left field. Right field seems to be locked up by Chas McCormick. Christian Walker will play first base. The hot corner will be held down by Isaac Paredes, as well.

Dezenzo truly has no clear path to regular playing time in the big leagues if he were to crack the 26-man roster out of spring training.

Still, his hitting is very hard to ignore, and his defensive versatility is an asset.

On Tuesday, the Ohio State product got the start at first base.

He was 1-for-2 with a double and a run scored at the plate. However, he was forced to leave the game after being hit in the face trying to make a diving play on a ground ball.

Per Brian McTaggart of MLB.com, the prospect suffered a TMJ sprain, which effects the ligaments and muscles around the jaw joint.

The good news is the injury is not expected to be serious.

The Astros have to wait for more testing, but they expect to have him back sooner rather than later.

The 6-foot-5 right-handed batter is going to make an impact in the MLB at some point this season, there is no question about that.

Houston will have to make a decision soon on where they will send him to begin the year, but do not be surprised if he is on the MLB roster.

Dezenzo has all the tools to get it done in the bigs, and the injury does not seem to be a serious one. If he is out just a couple days, they will have a very tough decision to make on whether or not he will be seen at Daikin Park March 27.

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Cameron Zunkel
CAMERON ZUNKEL

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