Owner Jim Crane commented that Smith “could make the ballclub this year at some point." That point could come sooner than expected.

Astros manager Joe Espada said Friday that an MRI on Walker's left oblique did not show a "strain or anything that we are concerned about," Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports. The Astros are still referring to the injury simply as left oblique soreness,

A couple other health updates from around baseball:

Astros newcomer Christian Walker speaks on not only the new atmosphere, but also the team overcoming the subtraction of stars.