HOUSTON (SportsRadio 610)- Less than four weeks after signing him to a two-year contract that will guarantee him $20.25 million, Astros general manager James Click says the team is happy with what they have seen from the right-hander thus far.
"He's come in as advertised," Click said Thursday.
Odorizzi followed a rough debut against the Washington Nationals on March 24, surrendering eight runs and four home runs while recording just three outs, by holding the New York Mets to an unearned run over three innings on Monday.
"I know the the surface level results in the first game weren't what he wanted, but as he discussed that wasn't what he was focused on," Click said. "We were focused on how his pitches look, are they moving, is he locating, is he healthy, is he in shape is he stretched out?"
Click says Odorizzi checked all those boxes and it was quite clear he was making strides as spring training progressed.
"I thought the second outing he showed the kind of improvement from the surface level numbers that you would expect for a guy who's whose process and stuff is in place there."
Odorizzi will start the season at the Astros alternate training site in Corpus Christi and according to pitching coach Brent Strom will pitch on April 3 and April 8 which would set him up to make his Astros debut during the team's series against the Detroit Tigers at Minute Maid Park.
