Brett

Wallace

The shot came off of Miami’s Wade LeBlanc, who had not given up a run in 10 1/3 innings. Wallace is now hitting a cool .321/.387/.536 in 28 at-bats. Meanwhile, LeBlanc settled down after giving up the home run, and now boasts a 0.61 ERA and 0.41 WHIP through 14 2/3 frames.

Paredes has been dealing with left wrist inflammation since winter ball in January. “We’re going to have to monitor him real close,” said Astros manager Brad Mills. “He’s still a ways away.” Paredes batted .286/.320/.393 with two homers, 18 RBI, five stolen bases and a .713 OPS over 179 plate appearances at the the major league level last season. Barring any setbacks, the 23-year-old will compete Chris Johnson and Brett Wallace for the starting third base job this spring.

Wallace will see time at third base during spring training with Carlos Lee expected to serve as the club’s starting first baseman. Bogusevic, 28, is coming off a season that saw him hit .287 with four home runs and 15 RBI in 87 games with the Astros. Rodriguez and Abad figure to compete for bullpen duties.

He’ll be the regular third baseman there. There’s a reason Wallace was moved across the diamond, but if the Astros are convinced he can play there adequately, he has a good chance of unseating Chris Johnson at the hot corner eventually.

Wallace is in the mix for playing time at third, not so much at first, but he was back at last year’s position today. He’s 5-for-18 with a couple of walks this spring, while Jimmy Paredes, who is projected to start at third base for Houston, is 3-for-15 with no extra-base hits and no walks.

The Astros seem relatively pleased with Wallace’s defense as he attempts to make himself back into a third baseman, but he isn’t impressing with the bat so far. There’s a good chance that he’ll begin the season in Triple-A.

Paredes just recently began hitting from the left side of the plate after dealing with left wrist inflammation. The 23-year-old is slated to compete with Chris Johnson and Brett Wallace for the starting third base job after batting .286/.320/.393 with two homers, 18 RBI, five stolen bases and a .713 OPS over 179 plate appearances at the the major league level last season.

“He enjoys playing there and he did a real good job last year,” said the skipper. “As of right now that makes us a better ballclub if he’s at first base.” Lee is no longer a reliable defender in the outfield and is much better suited for first, but this likely means that Brett Wallace will not see an uptick in playing time in 2012.

Wallace began his professional career as a third baseman as a farmhand with the Cardinals, but he made the move over to first base following trades to Oakland and Toronto. His defensive chops are still questionable, but some versatility could help his chances of providing value to the Astros with Carlos Lee expected to serve as the club’s starting first baseman this season.

It’s not unprecedented for players to get released from winter ball, but it’s worth noting that Wallace continues to regress since turning over the first base job to veteran Carlos Lee. A former first-round pick of the Cardinals, Wallace finished the 2011 season with a .259 average, five homers, and 29 RBI, in 336 at-bats. The Astros were hoping for a better winter performance, but GM Ed Wade still expects him to come in and compete for a backup job in spring training.