WEST PALM BEACH, Fla — Nothing signals the start of a spring training schedule like a split-squad. The Houston Astros will open Grapefruit League play with one on Saturday morning, when one team will host the Washington Nationals at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches and another will travel to Port St. Lucie to face the New York Mets.

The hot stove has cooled off and now it’s finally time to play ball. On Friday, Feb. 21, the Grapefruit League gets underway, which means the 2025 regular season is just a stone’s throw away. In the interim,

The New York Mets signed Clay Holmes with the aim of turning the All-Star reliever into a starter. And they aren’t wasting any time. Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said Holmes will be on the mound when New York opens its Grapefruit League schedule against the Houston Astros at 12:10 p.m. CST Saturday at Clover Park in Port St. Lucie, Florida.