2018 spring training set to begin Feb. 23

The defending World Series champion Houston Astros will be front and center when spring training opens in 2018.

MLB released its spring training schedules Monday, with the Astros kicking things off at 1:05 p.m. ET against the Washington Nationals on Feb. 23. Five other games are also slated for the 1:05 p.m. ET time slot.

Teams in both the Grapefruit and Cactus Leagues will begin play on the date, with seven Cactus games and eight Grapefruit games set to take place.

Also of interest to fans will be split-squad games on March 17-18 in Las Vegas, as well as two games between the Toronto Blue Jays and St. Louis Cardinals in Montreal between March 24-27.