What I’m seeing at Astros camp: Brice Matthews’ OF bid, Cam Smith’s mindset, more medical changes

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — For the second straight spring, performance may force the Houston Astros to create an Opening Day roster spot for a first-round pick embarking on a position change. Cam Smith secured one last season after acing a mid-spring switch from third base to right field. It seems Brice Matthews may be in the middle of something similar. Smith remains entrenched as the Astros right fielder, but Matthews’ marvelous spring has made him a viable candidate to contribute in Houston’s otherwise unsettled outfield. That Matthews started Friday night’s Grapefruit League game in left field only furthered the thought. No position on the club is more in flux — and Houston plays in a ballpark that is forgiving to inexperienced players patrolling the position. Jose Altuve and Yordan Alvarez are the most obvious examples. Matthews is far more athletic than both of them. He played some outfield at Atascocita High School and, last season, started in center field eight times for Triple-A Sugar Land. Matthews has spent the majority of his professional career as an infielder, but Houston’s major-league roster has no room for another one. As a result, manager Joe Espada entered spring training with a plan to increase Matthews’ versatility and create a potential path for him onto the Opening Day roster. Matthews has played parts of six Grapefruit League games in center field, impressing team officials with how well he’s acclimated to a new role. “A lot of it comes natural,” outfield coach Jason Bell said. “He’s fast. He’s athletic. He gets pretty good reads and it allows him the freedom to just roam and glide to the ball. His routes have been really good so far, but it seems like the athleticism will allow him to be pretty good out there.” Center field provides the easiest reads on fly balls, but Bell believes Matthews’ athleticism will allow him to read more difficult batted balls in the corners. One of Matthews’ biggest strengths as an infielder is his range, which Bell said “is partially athleticism and the other part is the view and perception off the bat.” “Because that’s already a skill he has,” Bell added, “I believe it will translate well to the outfield.” Whether it is enough for Matthews to make the team as an outfielder is a legitimate question, but the Astros’ actions prove it is under consideration. Asked on Friday whether he would feel comfortable playing Matthews in the outfield during a major-league game, Espada replied: “Yes.” “He’s having a heck of a spring,” Espada said on Thursday. “Swinging the bat well, playing all over the field, stealing bases. The athleticism is what we’re looking for. He gives you the versatility for me to do a lot of things with him on the field.” Matthews’ offensive performance alone merits serious consideration for the Opening Day roster. He stole seven bases, worked six walks and sported an .840 OPS after his first 33 Grapefruit League at-bats. If Matthews is not primarily an outfielder, though, it is difficult to find a path for regular at-bats — something Espada prioritizes for any prospect he carries on the active roster. Matthews also hits right-handed, which runs counter to Houston’s need for balance. It is why team officials hoped left-handed hitting Zach Cole could seize a corner-outfield spot in spring training. Instead, Cole has struck out 17 times in 34 Grapefruit League at-bats, putting him in peril of beginning the season at Triple-A Sugar Land. Matchups may render the balance concerns moot. Houston could face as many as four left-handed starters in its season-opening, seven-game homestand. Two of them, Boston’s Ranger Suárez and Garrett Crochet, have already been announced as probable starters against the Astros. Both Yusei Kikuchi and Reid Detmers could factor into the season-opening series against the Angels, too. Against all of them, Matthews could provide another athletic, right-handed bat that could bolster the lineup. Platooning him with a left-handed hitter — be it Alvarez, Cole or Joey Loperfido — could be a short-term solution to Houston’s unsettled situation in left field. When Cam Smith returns to the dugout after a home run or big hit, he expects the obvious question. He never wants to know the answer. “Your boys ask you what pitch you got and you’re like, ‘I don’t know, I just swung at it.’ That’s where I want to be,” Smith said earlier this spring. “That’s where I want to live. That’s where the elite hitters live.” Being the centerpiece of a blockbuster trade invites those expectations. That Smith failed to meet them as a rookie isn’t an indictment of his promise or prestige. He played a new position, endured the rigors of adjusting to major-league life and did it all with outsized expectations at age 22. Some perspective arrived this offseason, one that featured no guarantees from general manager Dana Brown. Finishing last season with an 87 OPS+ and eight extra-base hits across his final 170 plate appearances didn’t warrant any for Smith. To get some, Smith had to get out of his own way. “It’s easy in baseball to get in your own way and try to be a perfectionist. But that time is for the cages, it’s not for on the field when you’re trying to compete,” Smith said. “That’s what I fell into last year: trying to think about mechanics in the box or changing my approach. It’s a reactionary game. If you’re thinking, you’re not on time. I found that out the hard way. But I’m glad I learned it early.” Because he did, Smith is playing with more freedom. He refers to it as “being autonomous and reactionary.” “You don’t think at all,” Smith said. A free mind has fueled a resurgent spring for Smith, who is slashing .278/.366/.500 after 36 at-bats. Smith is pulling the ball with more authority and using the middle of the field, a byproduct of his contact point being more out in front of home plate. “He’s been very consistent, putting some good swings on pitches that we know he can handle,” Espada said. “He’s coming into his own. He looks really good offensively. I really like the at-bats.” Smith’s spot on Houston’s Opening Day roster is secured as a result. Once there, he now knows how to think. The release of Houston’s media guide this week provided more insight into Dana Brown’s self-described “deep dive” into the Astros’ maligned return-to-play procedure. Other than to reiterate that a review took place, Brown has refused to reveal any specifics of what — if any — changes were enacted after an injury-marred 2025 season. As it turns out, Houston hired a new director of sports medicine and performance: Dr. Brad DeWeese, who previously served as the director of player performance for Penn State’s baseball team. DeWeese has prior experience with the New York Jets and San Francisco 49ers, according to his media guide biography. He replaced Adam Decker, who departed the Astros this winter after four seasons as director of sports medicine and performance. According to Decker’s LinkedIn page, he now holds the same position for the Toronto Tempo, a WNBA team scheduled to start play in 2026. In addition to DeWeese, the Astros hired Rafael Freitas as their new assistant athletic trainer. Freitas formerly served as the Pittsburgh Pirates’ head athletic trainer for the past five seasons. In Houston, he will assume the role vacated by Eric Velazquez, who was promoted to head athletic trainer after the team parted ways with Jeremiah Randall. DeWeese and Freitas join head strength and conditioning coach Mike Jasperson as new faces in what must be described as an overhauled sports medicine department. Hires like this are rarely treated as news, but given the constant reminders from players and other team personnel about the rash of injuries to the 2025 Astros, examining them feels apt.