WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Good morning from West Palm Beach, where Day 2 of Astros Spring Training is underway.
The conditions are good again today, but a little cooler than what we saw Wednesday when temperatures reached the low to mid-80s under sunny skies.
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Thursday, pitchers and catchers went through their drills for more than two hours on the back practice and agility fields.
All of the pitchers took part in pitchers-fielding practice, also simply known as PFP, before quite a few moved on to the bullpen area, where they got their sessions in for 20 minutes.
Pitcher slated to throw included Lance McCullers, Ken Giles, Will Harris, Mike Fiers, among many others.
INSIDE THE CLUBHOUSE
The Astros players normally start arriving around 7 a.m. to check in, eat, get dressed and prepared for the day.
While full squad workouts don’t begin until Saturday, some of the guys are in early.
Thursday morning saw CF George Springer arriving and unloading his boxes at his locker.
Also in camp is Jose Altvue.
He’ll get in some work and we hope to chat with him today, as well. No sign yet of Carlos Correa, but he will get here soon, I am told.
OF Josh Reddick is in camp and spoke with the media Wednesday.
CAMP NOTES
Manager A.J. Hinch wrapped up his morning media session and said LHP Dallas Keuchel is not at camp today; he's out with flu-like symptoms.
Catcher/DH Evan Gattis will sit out for the next one or two days.
Hinch also talked about the leadership that Springer brings to the clubhouse. He welcomes the energy, and it rubs off on the entire team. Hinch also addressed the on-field sessions where pitchers and catchers simply sit and talk and get to know each other.
"The most important relationship in camp, and for a team, is the pitcher/catcher relationship," Hinch said.
New outfielder Nori Aoki is here, and not far away is his interpreter. Aoki speaks very little English, but the process works itself out.
Hinch says there is no issue, especially since Aoki’s been in the Major Leagues for a while now.
ALL IN A DAY'S WORK
Here at Spring Training, the days begin early.
We arrive at the complex by 7:45 a.m., in time for the open clubhouse time at 8 a.m., and we are here for the most part until 11:30 p.m., after our last live shot for my late Sportscast.
After workouts end, around 1 p.m. or so, we then get to work on our stories for the day and begin the editing process.
Our coverage is not only live on Channel 2, but also extensive interviews on my Twitter, Facebook and of course on Click2Houston.com.
Access here works out pretty good for the open clubhouse in the morning. It’s open for nearly an hour as players start to trickle in for their day at the complex. The clubhouse then reopens again after practice, when we can do more interviews both in group settings and some one-on-ones.
We are live at 5, 6 and 10 p.m. Houston time each night then regroup and do it again the next day.
We are here until Monday, so keep watching KPRC Channel 2 Sports and this weekend our live Sports Sunday from camp.