Houston Astros - TeamReport - Chicago Tribune

MLB Team Report - Houston Astros - INSIDE PITCH

With the countdown to first pitch reaching its final hours, Jed Lowrie simply ran out of time. So Brad Mills trashed the lineup that had his name in it, and the Astros placed him on the disabled list with the strained thumb six hours before the first pitch of a 5-3 loss to the Colorado Rockies.

Lowrie will have to miss at least five more games, as the Astros were able to backdate the stint to March 29, and he can play as soon as April 13 at Miami -- the team's first road game. With how few games a 15-day DL stint would really cost, the Astros chose to play it safe for the long season ahead.

His absence turned Rule 5 pick Marwin Gonzalez into the opening-day starter and the usual starter until Lowrie returns. Brian Bixler will back up at shortstop as part of his utility role, as Bixler was added to both the active and 40-man rosters when Lowrie went on the DL.

Lowrie injured the thumb in spring training and sounded not too devastated by the move.

"Some of those decisions are out of my control," Lowrie said. "But I'm not going to let it get me down, because I've made such good progress."

Lowrie said he felt much better taking swings in the batting cage Friday, and he plans to try batting practice on Saturday. Rehab from injuries is nothing new to Lowrie, who has also had some wrist and shoulder problems over his bumpy career with the Red Sox -- he was traded to Houston this offseason.

"Unfortunately I've been through this before," Lowrie said. "I know how to handle this situation. Sometimes things like this happen -- one of those stupid plays you get injured on. But I think I'm fortunate to have it hopefully only last a couple weeks. Five days ago, I could barely pick up a bat. Initially when it happened, the way it was swollen as quickly as it was, I think we're all happy there was no ligament damage, no breaks."

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MLB Team Report - Houston Astros - NOTES, QUOTES

--LHP Wandy Rodriguez made his first Opening-Day start in his eighth major league season and settled down after a shaky beginning. Overall in the 5-3 loss to the Rockies, he went 6 1/3 innings and gave up three runs, all of which were unearned because of his own throwing error.

--C Jason Castro reached a major personal milestone, playing all nine innings of his first game since 2010 after missing all last season with a torn ACL. "It's a big accomplishment for me personally to have gone through all that, persevered and got back to where I need to be to be able play every day," Castro said. "I'm really happy with the way rehab went. I can't really have asked for it to have gone any better." The day on the field could have gone better, though, as Castro made one of four errors in the Astros' loss to the Rockies.

--LF J.D. Martinez didn't really get a good sense of his first Opening Day until the night before, when he had to run an errand for his father, who was in Houston for the game. "I was in the car, hearing on the radio, people were talking about it," Martinez said. "Then you see people with Astro gear everywhere. It was giving me a buzz. Then the Twitter starts blowing up -- everyone is wishing me good luck. You start getting those butterflies again."

--3B Chris Johnson, despite only 793 plate appearances to his name, feels like a veteran on baseball's second-youngest team, which had 10 players suit up for their first Opening Day on Friday. "This is my third opening day, and I got jitters," Johnson said. "So I can only imagine what those guys were going through."

--LHP Fernando Abad's problems with home runs continued Friday night, when he gave up a bomb to Minute Maid Park's train tracks off the bat of Rockies SS Troy Tulowitzki. For his career, Abad has surrendered nine home runs in 39 2/3 innings and had troubles with the long ball this spring as well.

BY THE NUMBERS: 27.8 -- Average age of the Astros' Opening Day roster, older than only the Kansas City Royals, who average 27.4 years old.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "The aspiration is to do both. Win as many as you can while you're developing." -- GM Jeff Luhnow, on balancing the Astros' long rebuilding plan with trying to satisfy the paying customers at each game.

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MLB Team Report - Houston Astros - ROSTER REPORT