Hunter Pence and Adam Everett are patiently biding their time until they can return from the disabled list, but both took promising steps in the right direction when they participated in batting practice on the field on Monday for the first time since they suffered their respective injuries.
Pence has been on the DL for three weeks with a chip fracture in his right wrist, while Everett has been out since mid-June with a broken bone in his right leg.
Both players may have to complete a Minor League rehab assignment before returning to the team, but for now, just being on the field with teammates, participating in the normal day-to-day drills, gave them a much-needed mental lift.
"It's nice just to be out there and hang out, shag, be with the guys," Everett said. "It always helps as opposed to when I wasn't traveling earlier. Sit at home and watch the game was all I could do. This definitely helps."
Pence was given an estimated recovery time of four to six weeks, and he's confident he's healing on schedule. The center fielder was eager to hit on the field, rather than the indoor cages, where he can't really gauge how much progress he's made.
"It's a less-controlled environment," Pence said of hitting on the field. "It's tough to sit there and watch. I'm very excited to be here. I made it through a lot of the rehab. I'm looking to put it behind me."
Biggio schedule: Exhausted from a flurry of activities over the last week and also fighting a cold, Craig Biggio did not start Monday's opener in Los Angeles.
For much of the second half of the season, Biggio has played the first game of a road series. It's likely he'll play at least one game during the four-game set with the Dodgers, but manager Phil Garner said he'll announce that at a later time.
"After this past week, today's a really good day to have off," said Biggio, who hosted his annual Sunshine Kids Golf Tournament on Thursday, attended the Astros Wives Gala that night and attended a Sunshine Kids Gala on Saturday, just before participating in an elaborate pregame ceremony Sunday honoring his 3,000th hit. "I said to [Garner], whatever the matchups you feel is best. Normally we sit down and figure out how I feel physically."
Williams signs: General manager Tim Purpura spent most of the afternoon on Monday at the MLB Urban Youth Academy in Compton, Calif., where he signed 21-year-old outfielder Marques Williams, the club's 43rd-round pick in the First-Year Player Draft.
The Astros also invited Williams to Dodger Stadium to suit up and take batting practice with the team. The excited and slightly overwhelmed outfielder was, to say the least, happy to be there. He expressed as much while sitting on one of the couches in the cramped visitors clubhouse.
"Do you see who I'm sitting next to?" Williams asked, pointing toward Biggio. "This is a big day for me, and I'm super excited."
Williams, a native of Los Angeles, will join the Greeneville Astros, Houston's Rookie League affiliate.
Backe update: Brandon Backe threw five shutout frames in his third Minor League rehab outing on Sunday, leading Triple-A Round Rock to a 3-0 win at New Orleans.
Backe threw 90 pitches, 53 for strikes, while allowing four hits and three walks with three strikeouts. The right-hander's next start will be on Friday in Albuquerque.
Desperate Astros fan: Astros fan James Denton, a.k.a. plumber Mike Delfino of "Desperate Housewives" fame, attended batting practice on Monday as a fan of the visiting team, even though he's a Los Angeles resident and Dodgers season-ticket holder.
Denton became acquainted with several Astros players three years ago when he was the celebrity umpire at the annual Astros and Rangers wives softball game, and the actor has maintained a loyalty to the Astros since that event.
Denton recently donated a tour of the "Desperate Housewives" set to the Astros Wives Gala, a prize that fetched $30,000.
"I still try to do as much as I can with the Astros wives," Denton said. "They do a lot of great work."
Coming up: The Astros and Dodgers will continue their four-game series on Tuesday at Dodger Stadium at 9:10 p.m. CT. Right-hander Matt Albers (2-5, 6.20 ERA) will take the mound for the Astros against Dodgers righty Brett Tomko (2-9, 5.49).
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