Villar tunes up infield defense with Listach

SEATTLE -- Astros third-base coach Pat Listach, who handles the club's infield defense, put starting shortstop Jonathan Villar through a rigorous workout on the field Friday afternoon at Safeco Field, hitting him grounders over and over.

"We've been on the road for a few days now, and he doesn't get a whole lot of work in during batting practice with everything that goes on, balls flying around," Listach said. "So I said, 'Let's go out there and get some work in.'"

Listach hit some series of grounders to each side of Villar and then added some slow rollers. He also hit some balls where Villar didn't know they were going to go. Villar was pretty taxed afterward, bending over to catch his breath when it was over.

"It was just me and him and a first baseman, just to get some extra work in, high-intensity work, where he didn't have to worry about a line drive coming of the bat and balls and nets all over the place and things like that," Listach said. "It was a good workout and he was breathing hard when we left."