Astros' Josh James: Will be ready to start

James has already built up to 75-80 pitches and expects to be ready to handle a starter's workload from the start of the season, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

James was unable to report to camp until Monday, though it was for a far better reason than the coronavirus-related issues which have kept players off the field across the league, as he was absent for the birth of his second child, a daughter born Thursday. As he's been healthy while away from the team, he's been able to get his pitch count up and doesn't appear to be behind his teammates. He's a strong candidate to open the year in the rotation, especially with Jose Urquidy (undisclosed) hitting the injured list Sunday.