Houston Astros Prospects: All-Star Ruppenthal; Hernandez to Dominican Winter League

Matt Ruppenthal — the Houston Astros lone prospect in the Arizona Fall League All-Star Game — tossed a hitless frame.

With the 2022 season in the rearview mirror, a handful of Houston Astros prospects are looking for more opportunities to impact the Major League club next season. Matt Ruppenthal — who has pitched brilliantly in the Arizona Fall League — continued his dominance into the All-Star Game.

Although the American League team fell 9-3 under Triple-A Sugar Land manager Mickey Storey, Ruppenthal threw 10 of his 17 pitches for strikes in a hitless eighth inning. Collecting one walk and one strikeout, the Astros lone representative is poised for a strong Spring Training.

In the Dominican Winter League, Ruppenthal's teammate, Nick Hernandez, is making a run at more playing time. Hernandez started the year in Triple-A after making only one appearance for Sugar Land in the previous season.

Signing with the Águilas Cibaeñas, the reliever posted a 3.66 ERA over 64 innings between the Sugar Land Space Cowboys and the Corpus Christi Hooks. Hernandez was demoted early in the season in response to injuries in Double-A, and following his promotion back to Triple-A, he posted a sub-1.30 ERA in June and July.

With the Rule 5 Draft approaching, Hernandez will most likely remain unprotected on the 40-man roster. If the Astros leave Hernandez as such from the minor league phase of the draft, removing him from the Triple-A roster, it would provide a better opportunity for 27-year-old righty. 

Houston left outfielder Ronnie Dawson unprotected last offseason, after determining he wouldn't be a contributor moving forward. Dawson — who was added to the roster the previous April in response to COVID-19 injured list placements — returned to the Big Leagues in the latter months of 2022 with the Cincinnati Reds.

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