» “Healthy” pitcher Zack Greinke to report to camp next week.
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Heralded trade deadline acquisition Zack Greinke will report to his first Astros camp Feb. 22, 10 days later than his fellow pitchers reported to Florida.
Greinke is “100 percent healthy” and has been in communication with Astros personnel and pitching coach Brent Strom, manager Dusty Baker said Friday.
“We’re not worried about him,” Baker said. “This guy, he works. When he comes to camp, we expect him to fall in place with everyone else.”
An exact reason for Greinke’s late arrival is unclear. Baker had no specifics to share.
“No (reason), other than he’s Zack Greinke,” Baker quipped. “I got no problem with that.”
Greinke’s disdain for spring training is well known. The six-time All-Star told the Arizona Republic last February that he thinks the six-week lead-up to the season is “too boring.”
Greinke did not report to spring training on time last season, either, but was just two days behind his fellow Arizona pitchers.
“Things kind of creeped up faster than I was thinking and I was going to have to rush to get here,” Greinke told reporters last year. “I just decided instead of rushing, I asked if I could just come at a more relaxed pace. It worked out fine, I think.”
After Houston acquired him from the Diamondbacks in a blockbuster deal July 31, Greinke made 10 regular-season starts as an Astro, posting a 3.02 ERA in 62⅔ innings. He shined during Game 7 of the World Series, stymieing the Nationals for 6⅓ innings before being controversially pulled by former manager A.J. Hinch.
Neck ailment still bothering Peacock
Astros pitcher Brad Peacock suffered a recurrence of nerve pain in his neck this offseason, stalling his throwing program and putting his candidacy for the fifth starter role in peril.
The veteran righthander is still playing catch from as far as 90 feet away but has not progressed to bullpen sessions like his fellow pitchers.
“I don’t think I’m that far behind, but we’ll take it day by day and see how it goes,” Peacock said Thursday. “It’s the most annoying thing I’ve ever been through. My neck doesn’t hurt. My shoulder hurts, but it’s my neck that’s causing the problem.”
Peacock pitched through the persistent shoulder pain during the first half of the 2019 season before finally revealing his discomfort to the team near the end of June. He spent most of the second half on the injured list, when team doctors finally discovered it was a nerve in his neck causing the pain.
“It’s my neck, but it’s the nerve that runs to my shoulder,” Peacock said. “I have no neck problems. It’s the weirdest thing I’ve ever been through. I don’t know how to explain it. I shut it down this offseason because I don’t want to do what I did last year.”
Peacock is in competition with Austin Pruitt, Josh James and Framber Valdez for the team’s fifth starter job. Peacock won the competition last season.
Diaz set to attend arbitration hearing
Aledmys Diaz’s arbitration hearing against the Astros is scheduled for Monday in Phoenix.
Diaz, a first-time arbitration eligible player, asked for a $2.6 million salary. The Astros countered with a $2 million offer.
The infielder will attend Monday’s hearing, the only one between the Astros and an arbitration-eligible player this offseason. Outfielder George Springer settled on a one-year, $21 million deal shortly after the deadline to exchange figures passed.
Astros players have won five consecutive hearings against their club. Houston has not won a hearing since 2016, when it went against former catcher Jason Castro.
Baker adds confidant Speier to his staff
Dusty Baker has added his longtime confidant Chris Speier to the Astros’ staff as a quality control coach.
Speier has spent nine seasons alongside Baker at three previous managerial stops. The 69year-old former shortstop was most recently Baker’s bench coach with the Washington Nationals.
“He’s a great baseball guy,” Baker said. “This guy knows baseball. He knows hitting, knows fielding and knows everything there is to know. He’s been in the game about as long as I have.”
Speier served as the Chicago Cubs’ third-base coach from 2005-06 and was again Baker’s bench coach with the Cincinnati Reds throughout his tenure.
Baker said the rest of Houston’s coaching staff remains intact.