Porter meets with top prospect Singleton

KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- Jonathan Singleton, the Astros' top prospect who's suspended for the first 50 games of the 2013 season after violating the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program for a drug of abuse, spent a few moments Sunday morning having a closed-door meeting with manager Bo Porter.

Singleton would have had a chance to come to Major League camp and compete for a job on the Opening Day roster, but he'll instead start in Minor League camp.

"We had a little sit down, just going over his schedule," Porter said. "He's very important to our organization. He's not in camp because of that situation, his 50-game suspension, but I want to make sure he understands what's going on around here and feels a sense of commitment from the organization and also understands his commitment of doing everything he needs to do."

Singleton will miss the first seven weeks or so of the season because of his second positive drug test, which means he'll lose about 200 at-bats that are crucial in his development. He hit .284 with 21 homers and 79 RBIs last year in 131 games at Double-A Corpus Christi.

"His frame of mind was great," Porter said. "A lot of times we get humbled in life, and a lot of times it ends up changing a negative into a positive. We're going to do everything we can to have him ready to go when the 50-game suspension is over."