The Astros made it official: Braden Shewmake has been designated for assignment, a corresponding move that clears a 40-man spot as Houston welcomes Jeremy Pena back from a calf injury. Roster crunches are part of the deal in July, but this one stings a little given how recently Shewmake himself was rehabbing his way back onto the club.
Astros Designate Braden Shewmake For Assignment t.co/jy5zZcxVge
Shewmake only just got back from his own IL stint, having missed close to a month with an adductor strain. He appeared in just 2 games after returning before getting squeezed off the roster entirely — brutal timing for a guy who's already been through more transactions than most players see in a career.
This isn't Shewmake's first rodeo with the waiver wire. The former 21st overall pick by the Braves in the 2019 draft was shipped to the White Sox in the Aaron Bummer deal back in 2023, then bounced from the Royals to the Yankees on waivers within a single stretch in early 2025. Houston picked him up from New York in April 2026 for a minor-league arm, hoping he could stick as a utility piece.
In his time with the Astros this year, Shewmake slashed .256/.272/.423 with 3 homers, 9 RBI and 10 runs scored across 83 plate appearances — solid enough production for a bench infielder, but not enough to survive a numbers game once Pena was healthy again.
Because Shewmake was previously outrighted by the Yankees, he's got the right to reject a minor-league assignment and test free agency rather than accept a trip to Triple-A. The Astros now have 5 days to work out a trade or run him through waivers, and if nobody bites, Shewmake could be a free agent again before the trade deadline even hits.
For a guy who was once a first-round prospect in Atlanta, this is now his fourth organization change in under 2 years. Whether some other club sees a low-cost utility piece worth stashing or Shewmake ends up testing the open market, the next move should come quickly given the roster clock the Astros are working against.