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Baez (back) made his Grapefruit League debut Tuesday against the Nationals, issuing two walks while striking out one in a scoreless inning.
A bout with COVID-19 along with shoulder and back injuries limited Baez to just four appearances with the big club in 2021, but he was expected to report to spring training at full health. However, given that Baez didn't make his debut until more than two weeks into camp, it's fair to question whether he's in optimal condition as Opening Day draws closer. Though he was able to escape his lone inning of work unscathed, he threw just 11 of his 23 pitches for strikes and sported a fastball that sat in the 88-90 mph range, according to Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle. That's roughly on par with his average fastball velocity during his injury-plagued 2021 campaign, but well below the mid-90s heat he routinely averaged over the prior seven seasons with the Dodgers. Even if Baez is deemed good to go for Opening Day, the Astros may not entrust him with handling high-leverage work right off the bat.
