Keuchel feels fifine in pitching BP session

Astros ace Dallas Keuchel took the next step in his progression toward the regular season on Sunday when he pitched against hitters for the fifirst time since August.

Keuchel, who missed the fifinal fifive weeks of last season because of a shoulder injury, threw between 35 and 40 pitches to teammates in a live batting practice session at the Astros’ spring training complex in West Palm Beach.

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 throwing program, the left-hander isn’t expected to make the fifirst of his fifive scheduled spring starts until the second week of March.

“Good next step in getting him ready,” Hinch said. “I’m glad to hear he felt fifine physically.”

As for Sunday’s game against the Braves, Hinch had planned for outfifielder Nori Aoki to play at least seven innings if not the entirety.

But as soon as a Sam Freeman fastball grazed Aoki’s shoulder and sent him to the ground in the sixth inning, Hinch pulled the plug. There was no reason to risk the possibility of an injury in Aoki’s fifinal game before the World Baseball Classic.

“There was no chance I was going to leave him in after that,” Hinch said after the Astros’ 3-2 win at Champion Stadium at the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex.

Aoki, who escaped the hit by pitch without an injury, has a marathon day ahead of him. The 35-year-old will flfly from Orlando to Chicago, from where he will catch a direct, 13-hour flflight home to Tokyo. After visiting with members of his family, he plans to join the Japanese national team on Thursday ahead of its WBC opener on March 7 against Cuba in Tokyo.

Aoki played in each of the Astros’ fifirst two Grapefruit League games this weekend because of his impending departure. He had three singles in a combined fifive at-bats with a walk, a stolen base and a run scored and saw time in center fifield, where he will play for Japan, in addition to left fifield, where he will play for the Astros during the season.

■ Collin McHugh is the only Astros starter yet to throw his fifirst live batting practice session. He is expected to do so this week.

■ By the end of the Astros’ game this afternoon against the Mets in 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 Nationals in the inaugural game at the Ballpark of the Palm Beaches.