Former St. Cloud Rox Player Gets Major League Call Up

(KNSI) — Another former St. Cloud Rox player has reached baseball’s biggest stage.

Brice Matthews, who suited up for the Rox during the 2021 and 2022 seasons, made his Major League debut with the Houston Astros on July 11th against the Texas Rangers. The call-up came just days before Matthews was scheduled to appear in this Saturday’s MLB All-Star Futures Game in Atlanta.

The 23-year-old infielder started at second base in his debut against Texas. While he went hitless in three at-bats, Matthews has shown solid defense in his first two games, recording one putout and two assists with a perfect fielding percentage.

During his time with the Rox, Matthews was a standout performer, batting .300 over 288 at-bats across two seasons while driving in 49 runs.

Matthews played college ball for the University of Nebraska for three seasons before Houston selected him 28th overall in the first round of the 2023 MLB Draft. Since turning professional, he’s moved quickly through the Astros’ farm system, playing for multiple minor league affiliates, including stops in Single-A, Double-A, and Triple-A.

Drew Avans, Alex Carillo, and Jack Winkler have all suited up for MLB teams this season. In 2024, the Rox had seven players get the call up.

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