HOUSTON – Astros southpaw Framber Valdez, who broke his ring finger on his pitching hand in his first outing in the Grapefruit League on March 2, took a big step in his rehab on Friday by shooting at batting practice live in West Palm Beach, facing batters for the first time in more than two months.
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Astros manager Dusty Baker said Valdez threw about 20 pitches and combined all of his pitches in the team’s spring complex.
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“That’s the best news I’ve had in a long time,” Baker said.
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Valdez would likely need to throw one to two more batting practices before perhaps participating in a mock game and eventually being sent to a minor league branch. He’s still several weeks away from joining the Astros.
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The 27-year-old Valdez had a breakthrough season with Houston last year, going 5-3 with a 3.57 ERA and a 1.12 WHIP in 11 games (10 starts) with 16 walks and 63 hits allowed in the regular round. Including the playoffs, he worked 94.2 innings in the majors, more than any other pitcher.
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