There are limited spots on the Houston Astros' roster that are up for grabs because of how deep this team already is.
News that their ace Justin Verlander will begin the year on the injured list opens up a possibility for others in the rotation with their star pitching prospect getting a real chance to earn it.
But outside of that, only a few bench positions are potentially open.
Players who pick up injuries during camp put themselves at a real disadvantage, especially those who are non-roster invites.
According to MLB.com, the Astros have reassigned two players, Chris Gittens and Dixon Machado, to minor league camp.
Gittens is a 30-year-old first baseman who was originally taken by the New York Yankees in the 12th round of the 2014 MLB Draft. He's been a perennial minor leaguer throughout his career, only getting his first Major League experience in 2021 where he recorded four hits across 36 at-bats.
Houston added him on a minor league deal this offseason to create more depth at first base, but after tearing his meniscus in camp during late February and undergoing surgery, he'll likely be out an extended period of time.
Machado is another veteran player invited to camp who has more Major League experience under his belt than Gittens.
The infielder signed with the Detroit Tigers as an international free agent in 2008 and made his MLB debut in 2015. He played four years with the Tigers, bouncing between their Triple-A affiliate and big league roster from 2015-18.
His last MLB appearance was in 2022 with the San Francisco Giants after bouncing around the minors with multiple other teams and even going overseas to play in South Korea for two years.
Like Gittens, Machado also picked up an injury with his being a Grade 2 quad strain that will sideline him for several weeks.
Overall, it's unlikely that these players would have earned a roster spot, but now they've been assigned to minor league camp as they recover from their injuries.
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