Saccomanno promoted to Houston
Saccomanno, 28, will don a Major League uniform for the first time with the Houston Astros tonight at Minute Maid Park more than a decade after starring at Klein Forest High School outside of Houston. The Astros purchased the contract of Saccomanno from Round Rock early Monday.
Selected out of Baylor by Houston in the 23rd round of the 2003 Draft, Saccomanno batted .324 for Rookie-level Martinsville that same year. He went on to hit 20 or more home runs in four of his next five seasons, including a career-best 27 with Round Rock this season.
The 2008 Pacific Coast League All-Star led the Express with 33 doubles and 87 runs and became the first player in franchise history to hit a home run in three consecutive at-bats between May 31 and June 1. He made the move to third base for the start of the season, appearing there in 79 of his 137 games. Though he committed a team-high 19 errors at third, Saccomanno had just five errors while manning first base.
Twice named Round Rock's Offensive Player of the Month in 2008, Saccomanno notched seven hits in his final four games of the season for the Express, lifting his batting average to .297, 20 points higher than his 2007 effort.
Saccomanno's move marks the 116th for Round Rock this season.
One of Saccomanno's teammates will also be returning home this week. The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball announced that Round Rock pitcher Runelvys Hernanez has received a 50-game suspension after testing positive for an amphetamine, a performance-enhancing substance, in violation of the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.
The suspension of Hernandez will be effective at the start of next season.