Former Arizona infielder JJ Matijevic called up by Astros

Six former Arizona Wildcats baseball players made Opening Day rosters in Major League Baseball, and now a seventh is joining a big league roster for the first time.

Ex-UA infielder JJ Matijevic was called up by the Houston Astros from Triple-A Sugar Land (Texas). He could make his Major League debut on Wednesday night when the Astros host the Los Angeles Angels at 3:40 p.m. PT.

Matijevic. 26, takes the roster spot of All-Star second baseman Jose Altuve, who was put on the 10-day injured list with a hamstring injury. He was hitting .310 with four home runs and 10 RBI in 11 games at Triple-A, and in five minor league seasons he’d hit 69 homers.

A second-round pick of the Astros in 2017, Matijevic hit .312 with 17 homers and 128 RBI with the UA from 2015-17. During the Wildcats’ run to the 2016 College World Series championship series he had hits in 11 of 15 postseason games.

Matijevic, who has played first base, third base and all three outfield positions in the minors, is not in the starting lineup on Wednesday.