Astros mull later spring training
ORLANDO, Fla. — After playing 180 games en route to their first World Series championship, the Astros will explore ways to protect against any kind of hangover effect in 2018.
Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow said Tuesday the team has already discussed the idea of potentially beginning 2018 spring training a few days later than usual.
During spring training, the Astros also might summon more non-roster minor leaguers to major league camp earlier than normal to spread out the innings among their pitchers.
“Our workhorses are probably going to get a later start in spring,” Luhnow said, alluding to top-of-the-rotation starters Justin Verlander, Dallas Keuchel and Lance McCullers Jr. “But we’ll need to have those innings early, so we’ll probably have more Triple A and Double A guys or guys that we sign between now and then (in major league camp).
“We want them to get rest. Our trainers and doctors are working; we did exit physicals with each guy, and we’re talking to them about a plan for when they should get started and all of that. We’re going to be thoughtful about it. It’s part of what we need to think about.”
Probably helping matters for the Astros is that among their starting pitchers, only Verlander pitched a full season without interruption in 2017. Keuchel, McCullers, Charlie Morton and Collin McHugh each missed significant time during the regular season because of injury. Brad Peacock pitched the entire season but began and ended the year in the bullpen.