Houck allowed one run on five hits and struck out four over four innings in Wednesday's spring training game against Atlanta.

EDGE Analysis

In his third Grapefruit League start, Houck had plenty of run support early and helped himself by not walking anyone. He entered the contest with eight bases on balls over his first five spring innings. Still, he and manager Alex Cora noted improvement is still needed, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports. The 25-year-old right-hander had a wild pitch and hit two batters, which contributed to a lot of traffic. Cora stressed the need to attack the zone more and made note of mechanics that need to be ironed out. Houck will have one more start to prepare for his regular-season debut, the third game of the season against the Yankees.