Big news out of Kissimmee this morning, as the Astros have sent Jordan Lyles to minor-league camp, meaning that Nelson Figueroa is your de facto SP5 to open 2011.
Six other Astros were re-assigned to minor-league camp:
Patrick Urckfitz
Fernando Rodriguez
Casey Fien
Drew Locke
T.J. Steele
And Sergio Escalona was optioned to Oklahoma City (after coming to the Astros in the Albert Cartwright trade with Philadelphia), he can't just be sent down.
Some interesting things to see here: no catchers were moved today. Meaning that not only are Quintero and Towles still in major-league camp, but so are Carlos Corporan and Brian Esposito.
Also in camp are Rule 5 picks Lance Pendleton and Aneury Rodriguez, though the Astros are probably going to let it come down to the wire before making a decision to add them to the 25-Man roster or send them back to the Yankees/Rays, respectively.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
