The Astros have designated catcher Alfredo Gonzalez for assignment, as Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle tweets. The move clears 40-man roster space for first baseman A.J. Reed, whose promotion is now official.
The 23-year-old Gonzalez earned a spot on the Astros’ 40-man with a .321/.409/.378 season split between three levels in 2015, and he has a reputation for having a good arm. He has little power, however, and has batted just .158/.236/.205 in 162 plate appearances at Double-A Corpus Christi this year. He appears to be a good bet to sneak through waivers.
