Full name is Matthew Scott Dominguez. Signed by Tim McDonnell (Marlins). Graduated in 2007 from Chatsworth (CA) High School with the school's career records in hits (179) and RBI (188)...Had his jersey retired on 2/4/12...Was a teammate of Mike Moustakas. Raised in Van Nuys, CA...His father, Fernando, was a copy editor on the Los Angeles Times Sports Desk.
2016
Spent majority of season with Triple-A Buffalo and led the Bisons in HR (18) and RBI (67)... Also appeared in 5 ML games (3 starts) over 2 stints with the Blue Jays in April and June. Started at 1B on 4/27 vs. CWS, his only appearance at a position other than 3B in his ML career. For Buffalo, made 110 starts at 3B and 15 at 1B...Prior to 2016, had appeared in only 7 games at 1B in his pro career
2015
Spent the first half of 2015 with Fresno of the Pacific Coast League (AAA) in the Houston system. • Was the first season he did not appear in the majors since 2010. • Was acquired off waivers by Milwaukee on June 16 and spent the balance of the season with Colorado Springs (AAA). • Posted 41 XBH in 117 minor league games. • Batted .292 vs. LHP. • Was caimed off waivers by Toronto on September 6.
2014
Finished third on the club in homers and RBI in what was his second full Major League season...played a career-high 157 games, including 153 at third base...reached 42 career homers in his age-24 season...became one of four players in Astros history with 40 homers before his age-25 season...the others were OF Cesar Cedeno (103 HR, 1970-75), IF/OF Rusty Staub (57 HR, 1963-68) and OF Jimmy Wynn (49 HR, 1963-66)...also became the first Astros third baseman to post back-to-back double-digit home run seasons since IF Geoff Blum from 2008-09...finished tied for ninth in homers among Major League third basemen...among AL third basemen, ranked fifth in homers, seventh in RBI and eighth in hits...ranked third among Major League third basemen in total chances (398), fifth in fielding percentage (.975) and sixth in assists (378)...his 153 games at third base ranked third in the AL, trailing only IF Evan Longoria (155g) and IF Kyle Seager (157g)...spent the entire season with the Astros and finished second on the club in games played (157g), one game behind IF Jose Altuve (158g)...made his second straight Opening Day roster, starting at third base...was the club's primary third baseman, making 147 starts at the position...made four starts at DH...tallied his firstcareer walk-off hit on May 14 vs. TEX, an RBI-single that drove in OF Dexter Fowler...hit safely in 26 of 31 games from April 10-May 14 for a .291 average (34x117)...went 2x4 with two home runs and four RBI on May 18 vs. CWS...marked his third career multi-homer game...became one of just five third basemen with three multi-homer games for Houston, joining IF Doug Rader (6g), IF Ken Caminiti (5g), IF Morgan Ensberg (4g) and IF Vinny Castilla (3g).
2013
In his first full Major League season, ranked second on the club with 21 homers and third with 25 doubles...in his age 23 season, became the youngest Astros player to hit 21+ homers in a season since Cesar Cedeno hit 26 in 1974...the only other Astro to hit 21+ homers before turning 24 was Jimmy Wynn (22 HR in 1965) ... Cedeno did it three times before turning 24...among Astros third basemen all-time, his 21 homers ranked tied for seventh for a single season ... the last Houston third-baseman to hit 21+ homers was current Astros minor league instructor Morgan Ensberg in 2006 (23 HR)...finished eighth in HR among Major League third basemen in 2013...among AL third basemen, was fifth in RBI, seventh in slugging (.403), and eighth in doubles ... finished third among MLB third basemen in assists (323) and total chances (431)...ranked fourth among AL third basemen in fielding percentage (.963) ... according to Baseball Reference, finished fifth among MLB third basemen with 1.4 defensive wins above replacement ... in Astros history, his 1.4 defensive WAR ranks fifth all-time among third basemen for a single season ... recorded 46 RBI from the eighth spot in the batting order, which set a franchise record (previously A. Everett - 43 RBI in 2003) and led the Majors...17 of his 21 homers came off right-handers...went 6x11 (.545) with the bases loaded, including the first two grand slams of his career ... the last Astro to hit two grand slams in a season was Carlos Lee in 2009...spent the entire season with the Astros and shared the club lead with Altuve in games played (152)...made his first Opening Day roster and started at third base on Opening Night...was the club's primary third baseman, making 149 starts at the position...made one start at DH...did not hit a HR until his 34th game of the season on May 11 vs. TEX, when he hit two HRs off Yu Darvish for his first career multi-HR game ... from that game thru the end of the season, hit more HRs (21) than any AL third baseman aside from M. Cabrera (37HR), A. Beltre (24HR) and E. Longoria (24HR)...the last player to go homerless over his first 33 games of the season while finishing the year with over 20 homers was Jimmy Rollins in 2012 (went 33 homerless games before hitting 23 HR)...the last AL player to do this was David Ortiz in 2009, who went 35 games without a homer before hitting 28...ranked tied for fourth in the Majors with eight home runs during the month of May...added two more dramatic, 9thinning home runs to his resume this season ... snapped an 8-8 tie with a two-out, solo HR in the 9th inning on Aug. 26 at CWS off Addison Reed (10-8 win)...his first of the season was a game-tying, 9th-inning two-run HR off Grant Balfour in a 5-4 win on July 23 vs. OAK...snapped Balfour's streak of 44-consecutive successful save chances ... over his last 41 games of the season, hit .277 with seven homers, 21 RBI, a .353 on-base percentage and a .465 slugging percentage.
2012
Played in a career-high 31 Major League games across two stints with the Astros...hit .287 (29x101)
with five homers and 16 RBI in his second stint, a 27-game run to finish the season...on the season, posted
a .373 (19x51) average with 10 RBI in 14 road games, which included a 12-game road hitting streak from
Sept. 3-Oct. 2...played in 31 games at third base, including 27 starts...committed just one error in 78 total
chances for a .987 fielding percentage...marked the second-highest fielding percentage among MLB third
baseman (min. 75 TCs)...began his season at Triple A New Orleans in the Marlins organization...named the
club's No. 4 prospect by Baseball America and No. 2 prospect by MLB.com at the beginning of the season...
acquired by Houston along with minor league LHP Rob Rasmussen from Miami in exchange for 1B Carlos Lee
on July 4...reported to the Astros MLB club before an option to Triple A Oklahoma City on July 8...recalled on
Aug. 30 and spent the remainder of the season with Houston...from the 2nd inning on Aug. 30 vs. SF thru
2011
Had contract selected by Marlins on September 6 from triple-A New Orleans and
made Major League debut that night as a pinch-hitter in 10th-inning (hit by pitch)...Recorded first career hit, a single, on September 7 in first career start. Then recorded
first career RBI on September 12 at Atlanta and first extra-base hit, a double, on
September 19 vs. Atlanta. First multi-hit game was on September 10 at Pittsburgh
(3x4)...Suffered broken left elbow after being hit by a pitch on April 1 in a triple-A exhibition
game and didn't open season until May 10 with single-A Jupiter. Also missed time
with a right hamstring strain suffered on August 10 with triple-A New Orleans; placed
on seven-day DL and did not return until August 24.
2010
His fourth professional season was spent entirely with double-A Jacksonville, where he posted a
.252 average with 34 doubles, 14 home runs and 81 RBI in 81 games. He set career-bests in nearly
every offensive category: at-bats (504), runs (61), hits (127), doubles, triples (2), RBI, walks (56)
and strikeouts (96).
Led Suns in RBI, ranked second in doubles and tied for second in home runs ... Earned Southern League All-Star honors after tallying 10 home runs and 43 RBI in the first half of
the season ... Went 3x3 on April 23 at Birmingham to mark a season-high in hits. Went on to equal the total eight
more times during the season ... Hit in a season-long seven straight games from May 4-11. Equaled the streak from May 31-June 6. Hit .407 (11x27) five doubles and
one home run over that stretch ... In second game of August 21 doubleheader at West Tennessee, went 2x4 with a double, home run and four RBI. The four RBI
marked a season high and came off a fifth-inning grand slam ... Struggled vs. left-handed pitchers, posting a .222 average (36x162). Improved to .266 (91x342) when facing right-handed pitching ... His best month came in August as he posted a .307 mark (31x101) with seven doubles, four home runs and 29 RBI ... Posted a .290 average (45x155) with runners in scoring position. Average jumped to .429 (6x14) with bases loaded ... Following the season, named 'Best Defensive 3B' in the Southern League and ranked as the Number One prospect in the organization
heading into 2011.
2009
Spent majority of his third professional campaign with single-A Jupiter, batting .262 with 11 home
runs and 53 RBI in 103 games. Between Jupiter and double-A Jacksonville, he set career highs in
hits (118), doubles (32), triples (1), walks (52) and strikeouts (92), while equaling a career-best in
runs (59)...He led the Hammerheads in doubles and RBI. In addition, he was tied for second in home runs
and ranked third in hits and runs...Tallied a season-high four hits on July 5 at St. Louis, going 4x4 with two doubles, a home run and
one RBI...Drove in four runs on two occasions; June 12 at Clearwater and again in the first game of a July 10 doubleheader against Charlotte...Hit in 10 straight games from May 28 to June 9, posting a .341 average (15x44) with four doubles, two home runs and four RBI...Over the first two months of the season, hit .222 (39x176). Increased his June average to .295 (28x95), then posted a .314 mark
(32x102) mark in July...Promoted to Jacksonville on August 4, appearing in 31 games for the Suns...Following the season, named the 'Best Defensive 3B' in the Florida State League by Baseball America...Played for the Mesa Solar Sox in the Arizona Fall League. Hit .188 (9x48) with four doubles, two home runs and seven RBI in 12 games.
2008
Spent second professional season at single-A Greensboro in 2008, where he posted a .296 average with 18 home runs and 70
RBI...tied for second on the club in average, ranked second in RBI and third in home runs...earned South Atlantic League Player
of the Week honors twice...from August 11-17, batted .367 (11x30) with four home runs and 12 RBI...from August 25-31, hit at a
.611 clip (11x18) with four home runs and 11 RBI...in August, hit .333 (38x114) with 10 home runs and 33 RBI, earning Marlins' Player
of the Month honors...tabbed by Baseball America as 'Best Defensive Infielder' and 'Best Infield Arm' in Marlins organization...following
the seaosn, ranked as the fifth best prospect in the South Atlantic League and sixth best in the Marlins' organization,
according to Baseball America.
