The wait is over. Joey Loperfido will make his big league debut with the Astros on Tuesday when he'll play left field and hit seventh against the Guardians at Minute Maid Park.

Loperfido made himself a fan favorite without ever playing a big league game by tearing up the Grapefruit League at spring training and continuing to bash the ball for Class AAA Sugar Land while the big league club struggled.

The seventh-round pick out of Duke, who can play first base and all three outfield spots, leads all of minor league baseball with 13 home runs in 25 games. After hitting .382 (13-for-34) with a 1.076 OPS in spring training, Loperfido was hitting .287 (29-for-101) with a 1.106 OPS for the Space Cowboys.

Here’s everything to know about Joey Loperfido before he makes his big league debut…

What position will he play?

Loperfido will make his big league debut Tuesday in left field, but he has experience all over the field except the left side of the infield and catcher, but the Astros' most pressing need is at first base where José Abreu and Jon Singleton have failed to provide any power, making the Astros the only big league team without a home run from a first baseman. In college, Loperfido spent his entire freshman season at first base and sophomore season at second. Loperfido has started 56 of his 276 minor league games at first, including seven this year with Sugar Land when it became obvious the position was an area of need for the big league club. He actually is a more natural outfielder, so he also could join the rotation of bodies that see time in center field and left field. Loperfido spent his last two seasons at Duke in center field and that’s where he’s played most often in the minors, although he’s also played both corner outfield spots. 

Who’s going down?

To make room for Loperfido, the Astros put utility infielder Grae Kessinger on the injured list and to make room on the 40-man roster, the Astros DFA'd reliever Joel Kuhnel. Although Jon Singleton started at first base Tuesday, there also is an opening there with the team sending Abreu, who is hitting .099 (7-for-71), to West Palm Beach, Florida to work on his swing.

Where he ranks as a prospect?

Loperfido has torn through the minors and was the Astros' minor league player of the year in 2023, but he hadn’t been considered as one of the franchise’s absolutely elite prospects. Entering the season, MLB.com had him ranked as the No. 6 prospect in the Astros’ system and fifth-best position player prospect behind Class AA outfielder Jacob Melton, 20-year-old High A outfielder Luis Baez, last year’s first-round draft pick Brice Matthews and Class AA infielder Zach Dezenzo.

Speed threat

In the minors, Loperfido has shown he could be a 20-20 guy. In 2022 — his first complete season of pro ball — he stole 32 bases and hit 12 home runs in 108 games split between Class A Fayetteville and High A Asheville. In 2023, he stole 27 bases and hit 25 homers with Class AA Corpus Christi and Class AAA Sugar Land. To go along with his 13 home runs in the first month of this season, Loperfido also had five steals.

Joe Cooks

Loperfido fancies himself as something of a chef and has earned the nickname Joe Cooks. He even has a separate Instagram account dedicated solely to his cooking exploits, although he says he mainly plays around in the kitchen in the offseason. After he told the team he likes to cook during a rookie introduction session at spring training, Astros manager Joe Espada put him to the test by having him cook for everyone at camp. Loperfido, who was born in Philadelphia and went to high school in New Jersey, surprised everyone by cooking some authentic paella, which impressed those in the well-fed clubhouse. 

What number will he wear?

Although Loperfido wore No. 36 at Duke and throughout the minor leagues, he'll wear No. 10 with the Astros. "They jsut texted me a couple numbers that were open," Loperfido said before Tuesday's game. "I went to my trusted group chats and kind of got some council there and decided on 10." The last Astros player to wear No. 10 was Yuli Gurriel, who won two World Series with the Astros. The most successful No. 36 in Astros history is starting pitcher Joe Niekro, who wore it throughout his 11 years in Houston.

Athletic family

Perhaps it’s no surprise that Loperfido is so athletic. His father Joseph played football at Muhlenberg College, a Division III team in Allentown, Pennsylvania. His mother Amy played volleyball at Villanova.

One of Duke’s bests

Before being picked in the seventh round of the 2021 draft, Loperfido played four seasons at Duke. He graduated from Duke ranked 20th all-time in batting average (.317) and 10th in on-base percentage (.419). He also ranks in the Top 20 in school history in career runs, home runs and stolen bases.