The Astros already have two Spring Training games under their belt. We won’t bother you with the record because, who cares? But, as we are taking a look at the Astros this spring, there are definitely some trends that are worth paying attention to.
With no Astros players playing in the World Baseball Classic, it allows us to focus directly on the ramp up to Opening Day. We’ve talked about storylines. Now, let’s think about the flow of camp and what it might mean.
Return to Play
There are a few players coming back from injuries absolutely worth noting. Chief among them is closer Josh Hader who is supposedly throwing from flat ground as opposed to the mound. There haven’t been specifics, but he hasn’t had setbacks and looks like he is making his way back. Enyel De Los Santos, on the other hand, hasn’t begun throwing yet. An important part of the relief crew last year, he is a question mark thus far. Lastly, Yainer Diaz seems to be close to coming back fully from his offseason foot issue. Fingers crossed.
“Discomfort”
Let’s get the injury stuff out of the way since it was such a huge storyline for this team over the last two seasons. The word “discomfort” is something Astros fans (and media members) have met with a collective eye roll whenever it was used to describe a player’s injury. With still very little known about any changes they have made to their rehab program that was allegedly to be reviewed in the offseason, the first hint of the D-word this summer will be cause for concern, not just because of the implications for the injured player but the worry that it’s same-old-same-old for the Astros when it comes to injuries in general.
Young Guys at the Plate
There are a number of young players fighting for spots on the 26-man roster. Last year, Cam Smith burst onto the scene and the roster with a big spring. He and players like Joey Loperfido, Zach Cole, Brice Matthews, and Zack Dezenzo will all be watched closely to see who might make the Opening Day roster. Manager Joe Espada has said he doesn’t want anyone on the 26-man who doesn’t get regular playing time or serve a vital reserve role if they would be better off getting repetitions in the minors. That applies to every player mentioned here. How they perform this spring will determine if they get a shot at the bigs to start the year.
Consistency of Veterans (or Lack Thereof)
Annually, veteran players come into spring with the plan to work on things. It’s why pitchers will sometimes throw with less aggression or even try out pitches they won’t use during the season in Spring Training. Hitters are going to do the same and, like it or not, it’s a pretty big spring for guys like Christian Walker, Isaac Paredes, Jake Meyers, Yordan Alvarez and Diaz. Honestly, you could throw Jose Altuve in here as well. This was a team that struggled with runners in scoring position last season, a hallmark of the team’s success over the last decade. Veterans were frequently to blame, so how to build up toward Opening Day will be particularly interesting to watch.
Sorting Out the Arms
You can never have too many pitchers and the Astros took that to hear this offseason signing and trading for numerous arms who could make it into the rotation or bullpen. With certain locks in both spots, the fight for the fifth or sixth starter and the final two or three spots in the ‘pen will be fierce.
Lance McCullers, Jr., who sounded pretty somber in his first interview this spring, isn’t guaranteed a spot just because of his big final year salary. Likewise, if a younger player like Colton Gordon or A.J. Blubaugh throws really well this spring, they could be hard to ignore. There are also the names you probably haven’t paid much attention to like Ryan Weiss, Kai Wei Tang, Nate Pearson and Roddery Muñoz. They will factor into the battle for positions on the 26-man roster as well. Should be a pretty fascinating competition.