Astros pitching prospect getting on track in Fall League after lengthy injury comeback

HOUSTON -- You won’t find right-hander Joey Dixon’s name on any of the Astros’ top prospects lists, which isn’t a surprise considering he’ll pitch next season at 25 years old and has logged only 6 1/3 professional innings since he was taken out of Stanford in the seventh round of the 2023 Draft.

In some ways, Dixon’s career really hasn’t even begun because of a pair of injuries, including Tommy John surgery in April 2024 and an elbow nerve surgery in October 2025. After throwing in a pair of games this May for Single-A Fayetteville, he tore a capsule in his right shoulder and missed the rest of the season.

Dixon has looked sharp in his return to the mound in the Arizona Fall League. In four starts for Scottsdale, Dixon didn’t allow a run in eight innings, while walking three batters and giving up three hits. He struck out 13 batters.

“My main goal, first of all, was just throwing,” Dixon said. “I wanted to get off the mound, wanted to see some hitters. Second goal was the fact that I knew I was going to be facing some good competition, so I knew it was a good chance for me to kind of put myself out there a little bit, show people what I can do because I know what I'm capable of. I just haven't really had that many opportunities.”

Dixon threw just one inning in the Florida Complex League after getting drafted in 2023 and didn’t return the mound in a game until May 2 of this year after a series of medical setbacks. He threw three scoreless innings for Fayetteville in that game and pitched 3 1/3 innings six days later and didn’t pitch again the rest of the season.

His rehab from Tommy John surgery wasn’t smooth, with more elbow pain leading to the surgery to move a nerve.

“After the nerve surgery, it was my first time in games and stuff, and then during that, my shoulder just started to give me problems,” Dixon said. “I tried to throw through it and then ended up tearing my capsule in May.”

The goal from here on for Dixon will be to stack healthy days. He will have his first healthy offseason since he got drafted, which should set him up to be in a good position during Spring Training.

“We think it's a younger arm and a younger body, given he just hasn't logged the amount of innings that most guys have in in the system,” Astros director of player development Sam Niedorf said. “We’re excited about what he's done in the Fall League. I have to remind our group the Fall League isn't a finish line. This is just a checkpoint in his development that will hopefully continue to build momentum for 2027 for us.”

Dixon reached 99.2 mph on his final pitch of his outing Tuesday. He’s been sitting around 95-97 mph, with an emerging curveball and a solid changeup. It’s the attack mentality that’s stood out to Niedorf.

“He doesn't take his foot off the gas, and we stress that with all the pitchers, but I think Joey, what he's showing this Fall League has taken that to the next level,” Niedorf said. “He really has suffocated the hitter of the box and [said], ‘Here's my best stuff, go hit.’”

AFL Update
• Third baseman Waner Luciano has played all over the field this fall, which is what the club asked him to do during instructional league in West Palm Beach. He’s slashing .243/.364/.297 in 37 at-bats in Arizona after posting an .829 OPS in 70 games this year in Fayetteville, where he played for the third consecutive season.

“We want to continue to expand his reach on the left side of the infield, put him out in the outfield,” Niedorf said. “Get him reps out there, let him be kind of that Swiss Army [Knife] versatile piece that can play. He’s taken that development out there.”

• Outfielder Nehomar Ochoa Jr. hit a ninth-inning grand slam for Scottsdale on Monday and has a .706 OPS in 59 at-bats. He slashed .287/.349/.500 with 11 homers and 29 steals in 64 games between Fayetteville and High-A Asheville while turning 21 this year, a season which ended with a broken finger in July.

“His body's in shape, he's gotten the conditioning under his belt, walking at an incredibly high clip right now [10 walks in 68 plate appearances] and doing damage like we know he can do,” Niedorf said.

• Infielder Nick Monistere is making up for lost time while in Arizona and is slashing .276/.371/.552, homering twice in one game last Wednesday. He was limited to 186 at-bats in 54 games this year with a hernia injury.

“We’re encouraged with what he’s done defensively and at the plate,” Niedorf sad. “We thought putting him in the Fall League again was getting him continued reps, continued live pitching and continue to challenge him against really good arms out there.”