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Astros have quartet of dark-horse candidates

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- The stakes won't be anywhere close to as high as they were last fall, but for the first time since they beat the Dodgers in Game 7 of the World Series on Nov. 1, the Astros will play a baseball game on Friday.

The Astros will send Rogelio Armenteros to the mound for the 12:05 p.m. CT game at FITTEAM Ballpark of the Palm Beaches against the Nationals in their Grapefruit League opener.

As the games get underway, let's take a look a few dark-horse candidates to make the team's 25-man roster, which is all but set barring injuries:

Tyler White: White, who showed some promising signs at the plate in his brief stint in the big leagues last year, can play first and third base, and could wind up grabbing the final spot on the 25-man roster, especially with Yuli Gurriel suspended five games to start the season.