SPRING TRAINING ROUNDUP Astros will pitch Oswalt in opener

Newcomers Andy Pettitte and Roger Clemens will follow in rotation.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
As surprising as it was to see Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte join the Houston Astros this winter, it might be more stunning that neither will be on the mound opening day.
Roy Oswalt, the ace of the Astros staff before the former cogs of the New York Yankees came to town, was picked by manager Jimy Williams to start the season against the San Francisco Giants.
"Jimy and I talked about it a couple of weeks ago and that's how we talked about it, so it's no surprise to us," Clemens said Sunday in Kissimmee, Fla. "To me, all the guys are deserving. We've all had our opportunities to start opening day."
Hampered by injuries
Oswalt, who along with Wade Miller and Tim Redding formed a fine rotation last season, is one of the best young pitchers in baseball. But he was hampered by chronic groin injuries in 2003 and had surgery in the off-season to correct the problem.
Clemens and Pettitte were Houston's two big off-season additions, but Williams will go with the 26-year-old Oswalt at home on April 5.
Pettitte will go second followed by Clemens. Miller, the club's opening day starter in 2002, will pitch fourth, and Redding is No. 5.
"He's got a lot of pitching over there," Yankees manager Joe Torre said in Tampa.
Oswalt, a 19-game winner in 2002, was on the disabled list three times last year. His 2.92 ERA the last three seasons is actually better than that of Clemens or Pettitte.
"If I go first or I go third, it doesn't matter," Oswalt said. "It's an honor, so of course it's special, but I don't see [the others] behind me. I see them with me."
Other opening day pitchers
Other pitchers selected Sunday as probable opening day starters were Baltimore's Sidney Ponson, San Diego's Brian Lawrence and Mark Buehrle of the Chicago White Sox.
The Kansas City Royals signed left-hander Greg Swindell to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training. He didn't pitch in the majors last season after spending 2002 with Arizona.
In Jupiter, Fla., St. Louis Cardinals starter Woody Williams is struggling with shoulder tendinitis. Williams went 18-9 with a 3.87 ERA last season. Manager Tony La Russa plans to bring the right-hander along slowly.
Gonzalez begins workouts
In Tucson, Ariz., Diamondbacks slugger Luis Gonzalez went through his first spring training workout, hoping an off-season program to strengthen the muscles around his right elbow injury will hold up through a 162-game season.
Gonzalez decided against surgery to repair a half-torn ligament that would have forced him to miss the entire 2004 season.
"I'm excited to be out there this year," he said. "It's going to take a lot to get me off the field."
In Sarasota, Fla., Cincinnati Reds right-hander Danny Graves is excited about moving back to the bullpen after a failed one-year experiment as a starter.
"I was like a fish out of water," Graves said.
Garcia happy with Mets
In Port St. Lucie, Fla., Karim Garcia is happy with his move across town.
Garcia reported to spring training with the New York Mets on Sunday, knowing he has a chance to win a starting spot in right field. That's an opportunity he wouldn't have had if he returned to the Yankees.
"Knowing their owner [George Steinbrenner], he wanted somebody with a bigger name, like Gary Sheffield," Garcia said. "After seeing how many outfielders they had coming back, I didn't think my chance to play every day or very often was very good.
"That's just the Yankees. They're going to get whoever they want."
Garcia, 28, began last season with the Cleveland Indians, but he struggled and hit only .194 in 24 games. He was traded to New York in June.
He flourished with the Yankees, hitting .305 with six homers and 21 RBIs in 151 at-bats. He played in 10 games during the postseason.