Rodgers trying to show he can excel at top level
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Unless a rash of injuries besets the Astros, Brady Rodgers faces extremely remote odds at cracking the team’s opening-day rotation.
But for the 26-year-old righthander, a strong spring could cement his status atop the Class AAA rotation and as potentially the first starter summoned to the majors when the need arises.
Rodgers made his first start of the Grapefruit League season Sunday, allowing a run on two hits over two innings of a 3-2 victory over the Atlanta Braves at Champion Stadium at the ESPN Wide World of Sports. He surrendered a leadoff double to Ender Inciarte and a run-scoring single to Freddie Freeman in the first inning before breezing through a 1-2-3 second.
Rodgers, the 2016 Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Year, has conquered Class AAA but has yet to prove himself at the major league level. He struggled through 81⁄3 innings with the Astros late last season, yielding 14 runs on 15 hits mostly in a relief role.
“My job is to show I can get guys out at a higher level than Triple-A,” he said after his 29-pitch outing Sunday. “Why not do it in spring training? Try to open up (manager A.J. Hinch’s) eyes, (pitching coach Brent Strom’s) eyes and anyone else.”
With fastball velocity sitting at only 89 or 90 mph, Rodgers depends on commanding and mixing his extensive repertoire of pitches. After mechanical issues plagued him at the end of last season, he worked in the offseason with Strom to use his lower half better and free up his arm. He’s also developing his changeup this spring.
“I felt really good warming up, just didn’t carry it over to the first inning,” he said of Sunday’s outing. “(I) was a little tense. I wasn’t happy with the first inning, but I did make some pitches. … In the second inning, I was just more relaxed and I felt like myself. Mixing pitches was the biggest thing in the second inning. (I) threw more off-speed than I did in the first inning.”
Luke Gregerson pitched a perfect third inning in his spring debut in relief of Rodgers.
‘All went well’ for Keuchel
Dallas Keuchel took the next step in his progression toward the regular season Sunday morning when he pitched against hitters for the first time since August.
Keuchel, who missed the final five weeks of last season because of a shoulder injury, threw 35 to 40 pitches to teammates during a live batting practice session at the Astros’ spring training complex in West Palm Beach, Fla.
Before the team’s game against the Braves in Lake Buena Vista, Astros manager A.J. Hinch reported “all went well” with Keuchel’s session. As part of his individualized throwing program, the Astros lefthander isn’t expected to make the first of his five Grapefruit League starts until the second week of March.
“Good next step in getting him ready,” Hinch said. “I’m glad to hear he felt fine physically.”
Odds and ends
Collin McHugh is the only Astros starter yet to throw his first live batting practice session. He is expected to do so this week. … By the end of the Astros’ Monday afternoon game against the New York Mets at Port St. Lucie, all of their position players except for Carlos Beltran and Marwin Gonzalez will have played in at least one Grapefruit League game. Beltran and Gonzalez will play Tuesday against the Washington Nationals in the inaugural game at the Ballpark of the Palm Beaches. …
Yuli Gurriel will play first base in his first Grapefruit League game Monday. … Catcher/designated hitter Evan Gattis likely will serve as a DH for the next 10 days or so as a precaution after he experienced shoulder soreness early in training camp. … Carlos Correa will next play Tuesday and Wednesday after making his spring debut with a 1-for-3 afternoon Sunday. … Anibal Sierra, the 23-year-old Cuban shortstop the Astros signed for $1.5 million last year, played the final 2½ innings of Sunday’s game. He is not officially in major league spring training, but he is taking part in the minor league minicamp from which the Astros take a player or two for each game. Sierra went 0-for-1 at the plate.