Alyson Footer from astros.mlb.com reports that all is well for the Magic Wandy and Chad Paronto.
“By the end of the workday Wednesday, two Astros pitchers had breathed sighs of relief - Chad Paronto, after discovering his shoulder injury isn’t as serious as he first thought, and Wandy Rodriguez, after pitching four innings without feeling any lingering effects from a fingernail issue that hampered him in his last outing.”
Although Coop will not come right out and say it, it looks like Wandy will be the clubs No. 2 starter, while Paronto will probably start the year in Round Rock.
JJO on Wandy at chon.com said, “Although Cecil Cooper has been coy about how he will line up his rotation, it appears evident that the Astros want to at least have Rodriguez lined up as an option to start the second game of the season."
Barring a setback, Rodriguez will start Saturday on three days of rest instead of the usual four. That would put him in line to start an exhibition game again on April 2, and then April 7 against the Chicago Cubs on the second day of the season.
“We’re going to bring him back a little sooner so we can try to line him up a little bit,” Cooper said.
Asked what he was lining Rodriguez up for, Cooper retreated back into his recent stance.
“I’m lining it up,” he said with a chuckle. “You can figure it and fumble all you want.”
Cooper was pleased after watching Rodriguez throw four scoreless innings to beat the Mets 8-0 Tuesday at Osceola County Stadium.