‘Exactly what we’re looking for’: Altuve making strides in left…
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — The start of the regular season is two weeks away and the Astros are sticking with their plan to have nine-time All-Star second baseman Jose Altuve begin the season in left field despite a lack of defensive chances at the position.
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Altuve started his seventh game of Grapefruit League play in left field in Thursday’s 1-1 tie against the Cardinals at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches, and he played nine innings for the first time. He only got a handful of chances to field any balls, but he had his toughest test yet when he unsuccessfully tried to jump at the wall to catch a ball off the bat of Iván Herrera in the second inning. It wound up being a triple.
Iván Herrera’s triple
Mar 13, 2025 · 0:25
Iván Herrera’s triple
“I feel like every ball I get is going to be a new thing, something I’m going to learn and I’ll make the adjustments for the future,” Altuve said. “We’ve just got to make adjustments quick and go from there.”
After the inning, Altuve ran back to the dugout with center fielder Jake Meyers to talk about the play, and then he also discussed it briefly in the dugout with first-base coach Dave Clark, who’s helping Altuve make the adjustment to the outfield.
“I like the fact that when he comes in, he goes straight to Clarkie and wants to know, ‘What could I have done better?’” Astros manager Joe Espada said. “That’s what Spring Training is for. He’s learning. He [told] me after that, ‘I’m going to stay out there for nine innings.’ That’s the effort I want, that’s the leadership that we’re looking for and that’s Jose Altuve for you in a nutshell.”
Espada said Altvue ran to the right spot, but he couldn’t find the wall.
“That cost him just to mistime his leap,” he said. “I thought his direction and the jump he got on the ball was exactly what we’re looking for. He just needs to find the wall and time it better.”
Jose Altuve on playing left field and more
Mar 3, 2025 · 3:09
Jose Altuve on playing left field and more
Espada has yet to say if Altuve will open the season as the starting left fielder, but all signs continue to point in that direction, especially considering Altuve has started only one game at second base this spring.
“We want to make sure we use all our time down here to make the right decisions,” Espada said.
New pitch a work in progress for Arrighetti
Astros starter Spencer Arrighetti didn’t get much of a chance to work on his new two-seam fastball Thursday against the Cardinals, who countered him with six left-handed hitters in the starting lineup. The new pitch isn’t something Arrighetti would typically throw against lefties, but he did throw three of them to the right-handers in the lineup during his three innings of work.
“One was really good,” he said. “Two were bad.”
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Arrighetti’s four-seam fastball got hit hard last year. He had the third-worst batting average allowed on the pitch last year (.302) and the third-worst slugging percentage allowed (.516). The pitch had a -8 run value, which was his worst of any of the pitch types he threw.
“[I want to] throw something hard that doesn’t get barrelled,” he said. “Simply put.”
Arrighetti — who gave up one run on two hits and one walk and struck out four while throwing 55 pitches in the game — said he got his four-seamer up in the zone “a bunch,” which is where he likes to miss if he misses.
Spencer Arrighetti fans four
Mar 13, 2025 · 0:28
Spencer Arrighetti fans four
“I’m doing what I want to do with the fastball,” he said.
Arrighetti went to the bullpen after his outing and simulated one more inning. He’s made a slight adjustment to how he starts his windup and it’s paying dividends
“I felt like the tempo was way better today,” he said. “One thing I’m the most proud of.”
Whitley’s shut down
Astros relief pitcher Forrest Whitley won’t throw a baseball for a few days after suffering a bone bruise in his left knee pitching Saturday against the Yankees. Espada said Whitley felt something in his knee while pitching and was able to finish the inning, though he later underwent an MRI, which showed the bruise.
Forrest Whitley on his Spring Training debut
