While games are still over a week away, Spring Training officially arrived on Wednesday.
A long offseason is one step closer to being done. Not fully, as we still have over a month of camp before meaningful baseball actually happens in late March. But Spring Training represents the first step for the upcoming season, whatever the ultimate outcome.
News and Updates From Your Favorite Beat Writers (Chandler Rome, Brian McTaggart, and Matt Kawahara)
- Like most years, there is a new ST hat, with a different (and dare I say, cool?) flair
- Hunter Brown will make his first Opening Day start of his career against the Angels on March 26 at Daikin Park
- Brown will also be the first pitcher not named Framber Valdez to make an Opening Day Start for the Astros since Zack Greinke in 2021
- Josh Hader is a “few weeks behind” entering camp due to a biceps issue, but it doesn’t seem to be a major concern at the moment
- Tatsuya Imai threw his first bullpen as an Astro
- Trade talks according to Dana Brown have “slowed”, but an eventual deal remains a possibility
- Yainer Diaz had a minor left foot sprain in December, but is “doing fine” right now
