Non-roster status not affecting Wallace's mindset

KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- The fact that Brett Wallace is in camp this year as a non-roster invitee after being designated for assignment last week does not change his mindset: He's coming to camp to try to win the starting job at first base.

"It's something I've never been through," he said. "I had some friends and people you play with go through it. It's definitely a new process, but something that, honestly, I can't control. In the same aspect, I'm coming in camp to win a job. I'm going to keep my head down and keep working, and then whatever is happening with all that, I just try to put it to the side and keep preparing."

Wallace, 27, split time between Houston and Triple-A Oklahoma City last year, hitting .221 with 13 homers and 36 RBIs for the Astros. He's competing for the first-base job with Jesus Guzman, Japhet Amador, Marc Krauss and Jonathan Singleton.

"Whether I'm on the roster or not on the roster, my biggest concern coming into camp was being ready to go and playing well and showing them what I could do and try to win a job," he said. "You can look too far into it if you want to, but for me it was a matter of keep preparing and keep my head down and keep worrying about what I can control, which is going out there and playing well and playing aggressively. I think everything else will fall into place."