WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — When Zach Dezenzo received a call more than a year ago asking whether he’d consider representing Team Italy in the World Baseball Classic, he didn’t hesitate.
Dezenzo, who has Italian heritage on his father’s side, remembered the electric atmosphere of the 2023 WBC and wanted to be part of it. This time, there’s an added twist: Italy’s opening-round games will be played at Daikin Park in Houston, in a pool that includes Team USA and Team Mexico.
“For me, that was like a no-brainer,” Dezenzo said. “If I got the opportunity to go represent Italy, I was going to take it.”
The choice, however, wasn’t entirely simple.
Unlike teammate Jeremy Peña, who has a starting job locked down and will represent the Dominican Republic, Dezenzo is on Houston’s 40-man roster but still battling for an Opening Day spot. In about 10 days, he’ll leave Astros camp to report to Team Italy’s training site in Arizona, sacrificing valuable time to make his case.
Shay Whitcomb faces a similar decision as he prepares to join Team Korea while competing for a roster spot in Houston.
“I definitely took it into account, being another fringe guy in camp this year, still trying to earn a job,” Dezenzo said Wednesday. “But I had conversations with my agent, and Joe [Espada] was on board with it after I’d kind of proven that I was healthy and that everything I dealt with last year wasn’t going to be an issue.”
This marks Dezenzo’s third spring training with the big-league club. That familiarity helped.
“It’s not really a scenario where I’m brand-new, trying to get to know everybody,” he said. “So for me it was like, why not? Let’s go do it.”
Healthy After Injury-Plagued 2025
That Dezenzo is healthy enough to participate at all represents meaningful progress.
The 25-year-old made Houston’s Opening Day roster last season after debuting in 2024 but appeared in just 34 games before a capsule sprain in his left hand sent him to the injured list. During a Triple-A rehab assignment in September, he sprained his UCL on a throw from the outfield, ending his year.
It was unfamiliar territory.
“Some adjustments needed to be made,” Dezenzo said.
After receiving a platelet-rich plasma injection, he committed to a more comprehensive offseason program centered on mobility and strength training.
“I’m 100 percent ready to go,” he said.
A Crowded Path to Opening Day
The Astros’ outfield picture remains unsettled. Jake Meyers appears locked into center field, but competition continues among Cam Smith, Zach Cole and Joey Loperfido. Smith, Cole and Loperfido all have minor-league options remaining. Dezenzo can also be optioned and bats right-handed on a roster seeking more left-handed balance.
Still, he posted a 92 OPS+ across 109 plate appearances last season, flashing versatility across multiple positions and showing he can contribute when healthy.
The next 10 days may shape his immediate future. After that, his focus will shift to something larger: representing Italy on an international stage — potentially in front of a Houston crowd at Daikin Park.
For Dezenzo, it’s not just about making a roster. It’s about honoring family roots while continuing to fight for his place in the Astros’ plans.