Astros to allow players access to Minute Maid Park, West Palm Beach facility on limited basis

HOUSTON – The Astros are ready to move forward and allow players to have limited access to Minute Maid Park and the West Palm Beach facility starting Monday, a team official announced Sunday.

The Astros General Manager James Click confirmed the decision in an email to KPRC Sports Director Randy McIlroy. Click said safety is the number one priority. Strict rules will be in place for those that choose to workout individually.

“It’s obviously the first step of many that we have to go through to get this thing going up again and get back out there on the field and playing some games that matter,” said Click in a Zoom on Monday.

Click, who is in his first year as the Astros GM, said patience is key.

“I’ve emphasized that this is a slow process. We’re going to take this one day at a time, wait, see how it goes, make sure we don’t rush to fast," he said.

Guidelines will include only four players allowed at a time with workouts spread out to accommodate social distancing.

“From a personal excitement standpoint, it’s just nice to be able to talk to the guys about what they did at the ballpark today," Click said.