KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- Max Stassi returned to the Astros' clubhouse on Thursday, three days after undergoing surgery to remove the hook on top of his left hamate bone.
Stassi, who turned 25 on Tuesday, was in good spirits despite dealing with an injury that will cost him four to six weeks and a likely spot on the Opening Day roster as the Astros' backup catcher.
"We've got a good medical staff and they've cured a lot of these injuries with the hamate," said Stassi, who had a bone bruise before breaking the bone March 10 against the Nationals. "I'm excited to get working with them and get this over with."
• Spring:Tickets | Ballpark | 40-man roster | NRIs
Hamate surgery is a common occurrence in baseball. Stassi was welcomed back Thursday morning to a quick chat with center fielder Carlos Gomez, who underwent the surgery in 2007. Jason Castro also had a hamate bone removed in college.
"It's just letting the incision heal and move on from there, that's pretty much it," Stassi said. "Pain tolerance."
Stassi's hamate bone is actually still there; instead, Dr. Thomas Mehlhoff removed the hook on top of the bone, "[a bone] which is pretty pointless, from what I've heard, to the human body," Stassi said.
Stassi appeared in six games this Grapefruit League season, batting .125, and owns a career .357 batting average in 21 Major League games over the last three seasons.
Worth noting
• Manager A.J. Hinch said he'll start throwing relievers on consecutive days this weekend, beginning with closer Ken Giles. Giles will throw in a Minor League game Saturday before facing the Phillies on Sunday. Right-hander Will Harris also will throw back-to-back games next weekend in Mexico City.