Astros set Minor League rosters ahead of Thursday openers

New Chronicle beat writer Jake Kaplan tweeted out the official Minor League rosters shortly after the Astros' Opening Day tilt with the Yankees. A few things of note stand out.

Evan Gattis' rehab assignment

Gattis will begin his rehab journey from sports hernia surgery with the Double-A Corpus Christi Hooks as soon as the season starts. It's unclear how much time he'll need to get back into game shape but one would assume at least a full week of games, if not more. A mid-April return might be the safe bet, then. In the meantime, that should give Preston Tucker some regular at bats through the next couple of weeks.

Chance to shine for Lancaster's bats

None of the position players jump out at you on Lancaster's roster this year, but that means it will be easier to grab some attention if you produce. There are plenty of college bats with polished approaches, like Nick Tanielu and Jamie Ritchie, who will get their opportunity. It worked for Tyler White.

Pitching depth across the board

Unsurprisingly, Triple-A is stocked with solid, if unsexy, options if the MLB club needs help. Corpus' staff looks excellent, with Francis Martes, Joe Musgrove, Michael Freeman, and Aaron West at the fore. Lancaster and Quad Cities both sport a mixture of college arms and international hurlers looking to break out.

Young players moving aggressively

Daz Cameron and Kyle Tucker will both start in full-season ball less than a year after being drafted in the first round out of high school, and they won't be alone. Garrett Stubbs, Anthony Hermelyn, Kevin McCanna, Ryan Deems, Scott Weathersby, and Alex Winkelman are just a few of the 2015 draftees that will begin the season with one of the full-season clubs.