Good news, Astros fans, as Astros County returns from a weekend sabbatical (just needed a little break) - McTaggart has a new post up with Monday Morning Updates!
We can expect to see a more consistent lineup, now that we're a week away from Opening Day, says Mills:
"They're going to be playing quite a bit now coming down the last couple of days. Hunter [Pence] has had two nine-inning stints back to back, and Carlos [Lee] had his four at-bat stint a couple of days ago. We're getting there. Kaz [Matsui] has played an awful lot, and that's why he's taking the last two days [Sunday and Monday off]."
Manzella and Bourgeois were scheduled to get some ABs in a minor league game, but it was rained out, so they hit in the cage instead - showing Mills' hurry-back philosophy:
"Before we throw them into something like that, we have to get them in a game atmosphere. If anybody, [the rainout] probably pushes Bourgeois back a little bit. We'd like to at least see him get some more at-bats and see him a little bit more."
J.R. Towles and his hamstring are playing the Big League game today, which is acknowleged as probably not being too smart:
"(The hamstring is) probably not where we need to be... but at the same time we need to get him behind the plate and seeing pitches and swinging the bat."
And Lance Berkman has encouraging news as he's taken BP for the second day in a row.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
