Astros prospect Myles Straw starts minor league season at shortstop

Houston Astros outfielder Myles Straw (26) at bat during the top second inning of the Houston Astros-Washington Nationals spring training opening game at Fitteam Ballpark of The Palm Beaches on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019, in West Palm Beach. less Houston Astros outfielder Myles Straw (26) at bat during the top second inning of the Houston Astros-Washington Nationals spring training opening game at Fitteam Ballpark of The Palm Beaches on Saturday, Feb. ... more Photo: Yi-Chin Lee, Staff Photographer Photo: Yi-Chin Lee, Staff Photographer Image 1 of / 5 Caption Close Astros prospect Myles Straw starts minor league season at shortstop 1 / 5 Back to Gallery

ARLINGTON – Drew Ferguson's return to the Astros organization leaves a glut of five outfielders all in need of playing time at Class AAA Round Rock. Divvying it is difficult and will require at least one experiment.

Myles Straw will spend the beginning of his minor league season at shortstop, general manager Jeff Luhnow said Tuesday, ostensibly clearing one outfield spot for the other four players to occupy.

Straw played some infield in high school. But, in four professional seasons, the 24-year-old speedster tallied four innings as a shortstop — all at Class AAA Fresno last season. The Astros exposed him to shortstop this spring, too, after which Luhnow was impressed.

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"I think we'll see him enough there over the coming weeks to really give it a real go as opposed to one day a week where, sure, he could stand there but we have no idea if he can actually play the position," Luhnow said Tuesday. "We'll make the determination after he's played there for a dozen or two dozen games and see how we feel, if it's worth continuing down that path."

Straw is considered the fastest player in Houston's farm system and an elite defensive center fielder. His robbery of a Tim Tebow fly ball during spring training garnered national attention. Luhnow does not want that to suffer as a result of his infield test.

"I've seen these things go really well and I've seen it where this is not their natural position," Luhnow said. "He's such a good center fielder that we certainly don't want him to lose that in an attempt to become a better shortstop."

Straw is one of three outfielders at Class AAA with major league experience, joining Derek Fisher and Kyle Tucker. Yordan Alvarez, the organization's third-best prospect, needs time in left field after impressing during major league spring training.

A Rule 5 pick of the Giants last December, Ferguson was returned to the Astros in March after San Francisco designated him for assignment and he passed through waivers unclaimed.