Hoyt is focusing on a split-finger fastball this spring, a pitch he got away from in 2016, Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Analysis:
Hoyt had a couple of stints with Houston last season, throwing mostly a fastball-slider mix, but major-league hitters tagged him for five home runs in 22 innings. Hence, the reintroduction of the split-finger as a third weapon. The right-hander's pitched two perfect innings during spring training thus far. Tony Sipp is projected to be the only left-hander in the bullpen, but his struggles -- last season and during this year's spring training -- combined with the effectiveness of Hoyt's splitter against lefties opens the door for him to break camp with the Astros.
