Injury Ends Cameron’s Season

HOUSTON—Center fielder Daz Cameron had already made three stops during the first few months of 2016, his first full year as a pro.

His final move will, unfortunately, be his last for the season. He went on the disabled list on July 7 with a broken left index finger, which is a season-ending injury.

Cameron had settled into his role as a table-setter at short-season Tri-City, where the 19-year-old hit .278/.352/.418 through 19 games. The Astros selected the son of former all-star Mike Cameron in the supplemental first round of the 2015 draft out of high school in McDonough, Ga.

Cameron’s solid start at Tri-City was an encouraging sign for the Astros, who assigned him to low Class A Quad Cities to begin the season. He hit just .143 and struck out 38 percent of the time, which resulted in a trip to extended spring training.

Back in Kissimmee, Fla., the 6-foot-2, 185-pound Cameron worked with the organization’s hitting coordinator and short-season coaches, who helped him re-tool his approach and swing mechanics.

“We just wanted to make sure that when he was taking an offensive approach that was aggressive, (he was) attacking the fastball and not missing his pitches when they were there to hit,” farm director Allen Rowin said in an interview before Cameron’s injury.

While playing in extended spring, Cameron developed a nice rapport with former all-star outfielder Cesar Cedeno, Rowin said. Cedeno played for the Astros from 1970 to 1981 and is now the hitting coach at Rookie-level Greeneville.

“He just stands out from all of the other competition in extended,” Rowin said, “and you can see why he was taken where he was. But it seems like he’s fit right in (at Tri-City) and kind of hit his stride there.”

Cameron will probably get a second crack at the Midwest League next year.

SPACE SHOTS

• Alex Bregman debuted for Triple-A Fresno on June 30 with a four-hit, five-run, three-RBI game. The No. 2 overall pick in 2015 was expected to continue to play both shortstop and third base as he eyes a big league callup this season.

• Double-A Corpus Christi righthander David Paulino served a team-imposed suspension for violating an undisclosed team policy in June, but when he returned to action, he immediately went on the disabled list.