Astros Minor League Pitcher Angel Heredia Suspended 50 Games For Failed Drug Test

According to the Houston Chronicle's Zachary Levine, Astros minor league pitcher Angel Heredia has been suspended for 50 games after testing positive for two different performance enhancing drugs.

Heredia plays in the Dominican Summer League and, according to The Wall Street Journal, he tested positive for Stanozolol and Boldenone and his suspension will begin at the start of the regular season.

For more on the Astros, head to The Crawfish Boxes.

Astros Spring Training: GM Says Brett Myers In Closer Role Is Negotiable

The Houston Astros don’t exactly have a dependable pitching staff laden with proven commodities, so it’s been a surprising development this offseason when the Astros announced that Brett Myers would move to the closer role. With Brandon Lyon out, a move has to be made somewhere, but few predicted this would be the answer. However new general manager Jeff Luhnow says that both sides are excited about the move yet it’s also something that could change.

“I think for our team, right now, where we are and what we need, Myers in the bullpen is going to help us,” he told MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes. “We’ve got some options in the rotation and we really didn’t have good options for that [closer] role. He’s excited about it, and I’m excited to see how it works out. If it doesn’t work out, we can always go back to the other way.”

Myers threw nearly 450 innings the last two seasons in the Astros rotation and he hasn’t played the closer role since 2006 with the Philadelphia Phillies when he had 21 saves and a 4.33 ERA. However, Luhnow is out to make the team to be the best it can and his hire was likely to bring the unconventional given his analytical background. If it’s a fluid situation, perhaps the best response is a simple “why not?”

Astros Spring Training: Brandon Lyon Supports New Closer Brett Myers

According to Brian McTaggart of the Houston Astros' official site, former closer Brandon Lyon was not surprised to hear that Brett Myers has been moved into the closer role. Lyon is recovering from major arm surgery to reattach his right biceps tendon and repair a tear in his labrum and is also heading into the final year on a three-year, $15 million contract. Not only was he not surprised to hear the news, he's hoping for the best for Myers and he thinks the team's new closer can excel in his new role.

"I think he'll do just fine," Lyon said. "He definitely has the mentality to be in the bullpen. If he has a bad game or makes a bad pitch, he's going to make a quick adjustment. He's good at that and has been doing that for years, whether it's in the bullpen or the rotation. I'm excited to see him go out there with more adrenaline, more intensity coming out of the bullpen."

Lyons knows that he can help the team win ballgames as long as he's healthy. It's currently unclear as to what his actual role with the team will be this season, but Lyon isn't worried about that right now. He's just focusing on getting, and staying, healthy.

"The main thing for me is getting myself healthy, and we'll figure all that stuff later," said Lyon, when asked about his role. "I'm not going to go in there and say, 'I want this role.' It's a matter of just basically getting going and seeing where I'm at. I know I can help this ballclub win games. If I'm healthy, everything is going to play out."

For more on the Astros, head to The Crawfish Boxes, and for more on spring training, follow SB Nation Houston's StoryStream.

Astros Spring Training: Jordan Lyles Receives Special Attention From Pitching Coach Jon Matlack

If the Houston Astros are going to take a step forward this season, it’s likely that Jordan Lyles will also progress forward. The Astros clearly are counting on Lyles to become their ace and the prospect rose to the Major Leagues last season earlier than some might have expected and found his own ups and downs along the way. The flashes were there, however, and the team hopes he can make good moving forward.

He’s also receiving some extra attention this spring from Astros pitching coach Jon Matlack.

“We’re just tweaking some things that people have seen in my delivery that maybe there’s more energy I can put into it and the velocity would be greater,” Lyles said. “We were really bouncing thoughts off of each other, and he was asking me, ‘What am I thinking? What am I doing?’ He’s trying to get the most out of my frame and my delivery.”

“It’s always great to hear another person’s view,” he continued. “I can talk to them about what they see and what ideas they have. You never know what someone could say and it just clicks for you. You never know who it’s going to come from or what they’re going to say, but the more people you hear from the better. I’m trying to be the best I can be and get everything I can out of myself.”

Lyles went 2-8 last season with a 5.36 ERA.

Astros Could Pursue Jorge Soler If He Becomes A Free Agent

According to MLB.com's Brian McTaggart, the Houston Astros could be one of the teams interested in signing 19-year-old outfielder Jorge Soler if he is able to become a free agent, which is pending his approval of his application for residency in the Dominican Republic. He quoted Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow, who said that the team is waiting on the sidelines to see what happens, which is the same thing every other team is doing.

"We've seen him several times, and we're keeping in touch with people that are working with him that are trying to get him the citizenship sorted out so he could become a free agent," Luhnow said. "When that happens, they have a process set out for teams, and we're going to be paying attention to that."

The last time the Astros spent money on a Latin American player was when they signed outfielder Arial Ovando with a $2.6 million bonus in 2010, which was a club record. Luhnow went on to say that his scouts are watching all the Latin American players in the upcoming class, including Cuban defectors, and the only question is who they would sign and for how much.

For more on the Astros, head to The Crawfish Boxes.

Astros Spring Training 2012: Stadium, Grapefruit League Map And More

The Houston Astros are getting ready to kick off their 2012 Spring Training in Orlando. Pitchers and catchers are already in attendance, but if you're hoping to make your way to Florida to cheer on the 'Stros, we have all of your vital info right here.

The Astros will once again make their home for the spring at Osceola County Stadium, their Grapefruit League home since 1985. The stadium seats 5,100 and is located at 1000 Bill Beck Blvd., Kissimmee, FL. Their closest Grapefruit League neighbors are the Atlanta Braves.

Here are directions to the ballpark, courtesy of Spring Training Online.

From I-4, take Route 192 west off of the Florida Turnpike or east off of I-4. The ballpark is 1.5 miles west of the turnpike and two miles east of downtown Kissimmee.

The below map shows the location of Champion Stadium in relation to the other Grapefruit League parks.

For all news and information regarding the Houston Astros, please visit The Crawfish Boxes. For complete coverage of Spring Training, head on over to Baseball Nation.

2012 Houston Astros Spring Training Preview

While Houston has been no stranger roster upheaval at third base and shortstop over the past decade, it's the openings in the outfield that make the roster numbers so high.