After first full pro season cut short, Astros' Monistere getting reps in AFL

HOUSTON -- A chance to get more at-bats in the Arizona Fall League is an opportunity for Astros prospect Nick Monistere to make up for lost time and get his career on track.

Monistere, an athletic infielder who was the team’s fourth-round pick out of Southern Mississippi in the 2025 MLB Draft, missed half of what was supposed to be his first full season of professional baseball this summer with a sports hernia injury that required surgery. He was limited to 186 at-bats in 54 games.

The 22-year-old Monistere slashed .250/.392/.413 with one homer and 15 steals in 25 games at Single-A Fayetteville, wreaking havoc on the bases. The injury and subsequent surgery meant he had to rehab in West Palm Beach, Fla., and when he returned in late July, he was sent to High-A Asheville, where he struggled.

“I really couldn't get in a groove in Asheville,” he said. “I struggled pretty bad, just trying to figure a lot of things out coming back off the injured list. I could just never get in a rhythm. I got home from Asheville for about two weeks, worked with my guy at home that I've been working with since I was 10 years old [trainer/coach Brian Thomas] and got in a really good headspace, felt really good in the box. I went out to Florida for about a week, got some at-bats to get ready to come out to Arizona.”

Monistere is among a group of Houston prospects playing this fall for the Scottsdale Scorpions, for which he’s 4-for-12 with a double and six strikeouts in five games so far. Among the other Astros prospects in Arizona are pitchers Juan Bello, Joey Dixon and Francisco Frias, third baseman Waner Luciano and outfielder Nehomar Ochoa.

“I was really excited to be able to get the opportunity to come out here,” Monistere said. “I felt really good coming out of the offseason last year. And I was really excited about my first full year and seeing what could happen. Going down pretty early was really disappointing, and then just obviously fighting back from that ever since, but I feel really healthy now. These at-bats are really good. You're facing the best arms in the Minor Leagues every single game and you really get to see what you can do.”

Monistere’s future could be as a utility player considering his ability to play shortstop, second base and third base. He has the athleticism to move around the diamond and has played some center field, left field and first base, in addition to pitching his freshman year in college.

“I feel like I'll bounce around,” he said. “I think that's in my identity and who I want, I need to be as a player.”

When Monistere was drafted, the book on him was that he was a baseball grinder -- the kind of player who would run through a wall for his team. That’s still the case.

“This is my first full year and I love the grind of the season, but the offseason is really fun,” he said. “I like all the behind-the-scenes stuff and the early mornings and all that stuff and the things that you have to do to be able to perform in April.”

This offseason, Monistere is going to put a lot of emphasis on recovery and his body while taking advantage of the trainers and nutritionists and other things the Astros provide to move his career forward in 2027.

“I learned a ton this year in that department that I've never really known before,” Monistere said. “I'm really going to take advantage of that and utilize my resources to the best I can this offseason as far as all that.”