Verlander, Chirinos treat BP like a game
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Before he broke in a new batterymate, Justin Verlander gave one directive.
“Let’s go in and see and work this like a game,” the Astros ace told Robinson Chirinos inside a dugout at the Ballpark of the Palm Beaches. “Let’s try to get this on the same page. Call the game.
“And that’s what we did.” Four days after the first official workout for pitchers and catchers, Verlander threw his first live batting practice session of the spring on Sunday. He teamed with Chirinos, the free-agent acquisition and presumed starting catcher, for a 28-pitch simulation spanning seven plate appearances.
“Just to go out and compete a little bit with a guy like that out there was fun,” Chirinos said. “We got out there close to game speed.
“He was good, working his fastball in and out really good. He threw like two or three really good changeups. It’s fun to see him throwing some good ones.” Verlander, Gerrit Cole and
Brady Rodgers all threw live batting practice sessions beneath a crowd that included manager
A.J. Hinch, pitching coach
Brent Strom, Collin McHugh, Wade Miley and several nonroster invitee pitchers.
Though he was scheduled to throw fewer, Cole tossed 25 pitches to Max Stassi after the righthander had “extra in the tank.” Rodgers threw to Garrett Stubbs.
Stubbs was one of the three hitters against Verlander and Cole. Minor league catchers
Stephen Wrenn and Scott Manea also faced the two aces. Cole and Verlander worked their changeups liberally. Verlander got a whiff from Stubbs on consecutive changeups during the final plate appearance of his session. He turned toward Cole, sitting on the bench awaiting his turn, and smiled.
“Awww, he’s cheesin’!” Cole yelled.
All three pitchers were ahead of teammates with their individual throwing programs, Hinch said, setting up an early schedule of live situations. The Astros open their Grapefruit League schedule on Feb. 23 against the Nationals.
“It’s a good opportunity to see where you’re at and really check your stamina. I felt really good, and that’s what it’s about at this point,” Verlander said. “I think it’s the first step of many, but me and Gerrit each pay attention to details. We talked about it afterward, and I think we were both pleased.”
Gurriel to see time at third and second
Though the Astros acquired
Aledmys Diaz with hopes he can fill a utility role on their bench, they will still experiment with another Cuban at other positions.
As he was toward the end of last season, first baseman Yuli
Gurriel will be exposed to third base and, at times, second base when Houston begins full-squad workouts on Monday.
“If everything goes right, none of these guys will have to move around the field because we’ll have a very stable infield,” manager A.J. Hinch said Sunday. “We probably have as stable an infield as anyone in baseball. But things happen. If and when they happen, we want to be ready for it.”
Hinch planned to give Gurriel time at third base during spring training last season, too. Hand surgery in late February squashed the plans. Still, the 34-year-old appeared in 21 regular-season games at third base, starting there eight times. Gurriel started five times at second base.
In the presumed absence of
Marwin Gonzalez, who remains unemployed but is increasingly unlikely to reunite with the Astros, Diaz will see time at first base, third base, shortstop, left field and right field.
The former Blue Jay said this week he brought four different gloves to spring training with his new club. Diaz played in Toronto with Lourdes Gurriel Jr. — Yuli’s younger brother — and was also teammates with Yuli on a Cuban national team.