Correa, Dominguez cut from Astros' big league training camp
Top prospect Carlos Correa and Matt Dominguez, Houston's starting third baseman for the last two seasons, were among eight players cut by the Astros from camp Sunday.
Correa, considered one of the top prospects in all of baseball, had an impressive showing this spring after making the jump from Class-A ball, where he posted a .926 OPS with nine homers in 62 games last season. He's expected to start this season in Class-AA.
"I was playing here in big league camp and I faced pitchers like (Ryan) Zimmerman and (Mat) Latos and all those guys," Correa told reporters. "I did pretty well out here."
The 20-year-old shortstop made the most of his time at Astros camp, hitting .341/.372/.512 with two homers in his first extended look against big-league pitching.
"Carlos is going to be a star player in the big leagues," Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow said. "It's just a matter of time."
Correa, the first pick in the 2012 amateur draft, was reassigned to minor league camp along with pitchers Darin Downs and James Hoyt, catcher Tyler Heineman and infielder Gregorio Petit.
Dominguez, who struggled last year and was expected to compete for a backup role behind newly acquired third baseman Luis Valbuena, was optioned to the minors along with pitcher Jake Buchanan and catcher Max Stassi.
- With files from The Associated Press