Houston Astros' No. 5 prospect Joey Loperfido made his MLB debut earlier this season following a red-hot start to the year in Triple-A. Loperfido was hitting .287 with 13 home runs and 27 RBI through the first month.
Then, the Astros decided to call him up on April 30. However, he didn't see as frequent playing time as fantasy managers would have thought, as he started just 12 of 21 games from April 30 to May 20. With the inconsistent playing time, the Astros decided to send Loperfido back down to the minors on May 27.
Nonetheless, he shortly found himself in the big leagues again. So, when did Houston call up the outfielder? Is he still on the active roster? Let's dive in and find out.
Joey Loperfido Prospect Update for Fantasy Baseball
It was a little bit of a headache to roster Loperfido the first time he was called up on April 30 because he wasn't getting consistent playing time. He sat out against left-handed pitchers and even got pulled early in games for defensive purposes. The 25-year-old only started and finished nine games for the Astros.
But, following a brief stint at Triple-A, Loperfido re-joined the team on June 8. Still, his playing time was the same, as he only came in as a pinch runner in Monday's extra-innings loss.
Now, it appears Houston has sent the outfielder back down after just two games up. With catcher Yainer Diaz nursing a finger issue, the Astros have reportedly decided to call up Cesar Salazar for depth at the position. The corresponding move is expected to be Loperfido getting sent down to Triple-A Sugar Land, according to Ari Alexander.
Sources: Catcher Cèsar Salazar is in San Francisco, and is expected to be activated by the #Astros today.
OF Joey Loperfido has been optioned to Triple-A Sugar Land.
— Ari Alexander (@AriA1exander) June 11, 2024
Joey Loperfido Outlook for Fantasy Baseball
At this point, Loperfido can be a drop in most re-draft formats. He doesn't appear to be a long-term option for the Astros in 2024 and continues to get demoted. This is the third time the 25-year-old has been optioned to Triple-A this season after spending time with the major league club.
Joey Loperfido had quite a day Thursday:
⚾️ Got his apartment set up
⚾️ First MLB Home Run
⚾️ Got the ball back & fan will get meet & greet and signed bat
⚾️ Comes home to no power, ends up having to stay with Spencer Arrighetti pic.twitter.com/m9lrCwvDlz— Ari Alexander (@AriA1exander) May 17, 2024
Even when Loperfido is up with the Astros, though, he hasn't seen much playing time. So, he can be safely dropped in most formats. The talent is surely there for him, but the playing time might not be in 2024 -- unless Houston blows everything up at the trade deadline. In dynasty formats, he is a strong hold, given his eventual upside in this lineup.
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