Fontana was added to the Astros' 40-man roster Friday, the Houston Chronicle reports.
While Fontana slugged just .357 in the Pacific Coast League last season, he managed a .369 OBP on the strength of a 16.2 percent walk rate, and there is some hope that a bit of power will show up eventually. This move was made primarily for Rule 5 protection, but Fontana could be a utility option at some point in 2016.