Tuesday, April 01

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- The Astros will break camp following Sunday’s Grapefruit League finale against the Nationals at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches and head to Houston for a pair of exhibition games against the Triple-A Sugar Land Space Cowboys at Daikin Park on Monday and Tuesday.

The last couple of position-player spots and final few bullpen spots on the 26-man roster are still up for grabs, and manager Joe Espada said he’s going to use the exhibition games in Houston to make the final assessments. That means the roster won’t be set when the team leaves Florida on Sunday night.

“I’m expecting the competition to go all the way through those exhibition games,” he said.

Here are five players who had standout spring performances for the Astros:

IF/OF Zach Dezenzo

The club’s No. 5 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, Dezenzo is hitting .415 (17-for-41) with two homers and a 1.138 OPS this spring (through Friday). He’s split time between the corner outfield positions and first base as the Astros try to find ways to expand his versatility for a spot on the Major League roster.

Espada’s take: “He’s had a great spring. His defense in the outfield has been better than what I thought. He actually picked up on it pretty quickly. The at-bats, hitting the ball to all fields, the speed -- he can steal some bases -- the versatility, we all knew could be something that could benefit our club. He’s handled it very well. He’s not fazed by what’s going on. I told him from the very beginning he had a chance to make this club, and he hasn’t backed down. He’s taken it very seriously and has made a strong case for himself.”

3B/RF Cam Smith

Smith (the team’s No. 1 prospect) has been the talk of camp since hitting a pair of home runs in his first two Grapefruit League at-bats. He hasn’t stopped there, batting .371 (13-for-35) with four homers and a 1.221 OPS this spring. The Astros started playing him in right field a couple of weeks ago after they realized they may want to carry him on the Opening Day roster.

Espada’s take: “I said that I was only going to play him at third base, and I guess I didn’t keep my promise because he pushed our hand. His approach at the plate, his swing decisions, how hard he’s hitting the ball, we need some of that type of hitter in our lineup, something last year that we somewhat struggled with. If we could add players like him in our lineup, it would stretch our lineup even further.”

RHP Logan VanWey

VanWey has flown under the radar all spring but could be on track to making his first Major League roster out of camp. VanWey, who struck out 98 hitters in 72 2/3 innings last year at Triple-A, has allowed one run and struck out 12 in 12 2/3 innings.

Espada’s take: “I still want to see more of VanWey against lefties. He has the weapons to get the righties out with ease. Lefties, we’d like to see the execution more of his changeup and getting the left-handed hitters out quicker. He’s demonstrated toughness, and he showed it last year in Triple-A. His name came up a lot, and now I see why.”

SS Jeremy Peña

Last spring, Peña was working on remaking his swing load to reduce body movement with hopes of driving the ball more, and he wound up having a season pretty much on par with his career numbers. He went 3-for-3 with a double and a homer Friday, and he is hitting .459 (17-for-37) with four homers, 10 RBIs and a 1.297 OPS this spring.

Espada’s take: “He is slightly open on his stance and is trying to create more space and be more on time and elevate the ball, and so far, it’s paying dividends for him. We need to continue to do that. So far, the results have been really, really good.”

LHP Bryan King

King posted a 2.39 ERA last year in 28 games out of Houston’s bullpen last year as a 27-year-old rookie, and he showed the ability to get lefties and righties out. He has allowed three earned runs and seven hits in 10 Grapefruit League innings.

Espada’s take: “Bryan King came up last year and had some really good outings for us. Right now, he’s one of those guys that I feel comfortable giving him high-leverage opportunities. He did it last year, and I feel comfortable doing it again this year.”

Jose Altuve, who’s moving to left field this year, has started at second base for the Astros in 12 of the previous 13 years (he was injured in 2023) on Opening Day. Who started at second base for the Astros on Opening Day prior to when Altuve’s streak of 11 starts in a row began in 2012?

A. Bill Hall

B. Kaz Matsui

C. Mark Loretta

D. Geoff Blum

• Stephanie Mock Grubbs was hired as assistant strength and conditioning coach in January to become the first woman in Astros history to hold that role. 

• The Astros released their City Connect 2.0 jerseys to rave reviews from the players. 

• Espada confirmed that the club plans to follow through with its plan to start Altuve in left field on Opening Day. Altuve dropped a pair of fly balls in consecutive games around that announcement, but he promised to keep working.

B. Hall started at second for the Astros on Opening Day in 2011, with Altuve making his Major League debut on July 20 of that year. 

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