Spring Report: Appel Finding His Rhythm

Houston's top pitching prospect Mark Appel tossed five shutout innings against the Braves' Triple-A club Thursday at ESPN Wide World of Sports in Orlando, Fla.

"There's a lot that I've been working on this offseason and it's all starting to come together," Appel said.

"Rhythm is a huge thing. When you get out of sync, your pitches are going to move where you don't want them to. I've been working on getting in sync, finding my rhythm and I think today was a good step in that direction."

Appel is hoping to build off his experience at big league camp where the former Stanford Cardinal was 1-0 with a 2.57 ERA in three Grapefruit League appearances.

"It's all about confidence in your abilities and going out and making pitches," Appel said. "I felt like I was able to work on that and do some of those things. And prove to myself that I can have success up here. You still have to work and grind every day."

Right-handed relief pitcher Jonas Dufek, who missed all of last season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, is fully recovered and expects to break camp with the rest of the squad.

"It was a long summer for me being down here, but I got my work in and the guys here did a great job at getting me back," Dufek said before a PFP session at the Astros' spring training facility in Kissimmee, Fla. "I feel ready to go for the season."

Dufek began 2013 with High-A Lancaster and joined Corpus Christi in late July. He authored 7-0 record and 0.47 ERA in 14 appearances for the Hooks, striking out 20 against 1 walk in 19.1 innings. A ninth-round pick in 2011 out of Creighton University, Dufek did not allow a run in two playoff appearances and earned the victory in Game 1 of the Texas League South Division Series.  

2014 Texas League Mid-Season All-Star Nolan Fontana is at full speed after a broken finger last June ended his campaign prematurely.

"I'm 100% healthy and ready to get this year underway," Fontana said.

Fontana hit .262 with 33 runs scored and 21 doubles for the Hooks last year. The slick-fielding second baseman tied for fourth in the Texas League in walks (61), despite playing in just 66 games.

Fontana, a second-round pick in 2012 out of the University of Florida, was rewarded with a non-roster invite to major league spring training.

"It was fun. It was a good time," Fontana said. "You try to pick apart things that guys have done up there for a while. You try and be a sponge and soak in everything you can to better your game.