Peacock showing positive signs

Astros manager A.J. Hinch and pitching coach Brent Strom were on hand Saturday morning when righthander Brad Peacock, who had hip surgery in October, threw his second live batting practice session of camp.

Peacock threw his fastball, curveball, slider and changeup during two sets of 20 pitches.

Peacock is likely to start the season on the disabled list, but he and Hinch considered Saturday a positive step in his recovery.

“He was good,” Hinch said. “He’s getting closer and closer to sort of taking the rehab part off of his program, but he continues to take a step forward in a good direction.”

Barring a setback, Hinch expects Peacock to advance to a bullpen side session simulating a starting pitcher’s routine early this week and then an actual simulated game at the end of the week.

“We’ll have some hitters and defense,” Hinch said. “He’ll have to take off the mound and cover first in a true simulated game.”

Peacock isn’t sure when he’ll be ready to throw in a Grapefruit League game.

“I’m not really putting a timetable on anything,” he said. “It’s pretty major surgery, so I’m just going to go day by day and take it easy right now.”

Nonetheless, the hip is “perfect. It feels awesome,” Peacock said.

At this point, Peacock appears destined to begin the season on a rehab assignment or on the disabled list.

“He’s a little behind because we haven’t had the luxury of building him up in a normal routine,” Hinch said. “So he’s a tick behind, but that’s not a failure. He’s in a position where he’s continuing to take positive steps and getting ready for game action.

“So to watch him go through this and step by step continue to have good days is the most important. But it’s getting less and less likely he’ll be available to us when we break.”

Hinch added: “Under the normal progression, he’ll start the year on the DL. But he should be ready to compete by then if he continues to progress. these guys daily. We had a long meeting today about players. We’ll have another long meeting after the off-day (Wednesday) and try to shape.

“Things can change, but we try to shape our roster as we get closer and closer. We try not to draw any conclusions too soon, but things are trying to firm up a little bit.”

The Astros open the season against the Indians three weeks from Monday at Minute Maid Park. tender at the side, but he was cleared to play in the game and went hitless in one at-bat as a pinch hitter.

Tucker will use bats wrapped by tape at the top of the handles for at least the next few days.

“I can swing with a modified handle on there to kind of absorb some of the impact,” he said. “It’s not the most comfortable thing in the world, but I’ll probably get used to it.”

Tucker, who led the Astros’ farm system with a combined 24 home runs between Class AA Corpus Christi and Class AAA Oklahoma City last year, was hurt when he was hit by a pitch against the Yankees on March 7.

Although X-rays on the right hand were negative, he wasn’t cleared to take batting practice again until Wednesday.

“Taking four or five days off hitting while we’re playing games every day kind of feels like you’re almost taking two weeks off just because you’re at the field every day and you see everybody doing it,” he said.

“It’s only been a week, but I’m excited to get back out there.”

Jose de Jesus Ortiz