KISSIMMEE, Fla. — Luke Gregerson wants to close. That has not changed and won't.

What he indicated on Friday is that no matter what happens as he and Ken Giles jockey for the premier title in the bullpen, Gregerson understands his purpose on the Astros.

"I get paid to play baseball. I get paid to throw pitches and help the team win. That's all I'm here for," Gregerson said. "So whatever happens, happens. I've already expressed my desire to close and you know, that's not going to change. But at the end of the day, we're here to help each other, and however that maps out is how it maps out."

Gregerson hasn't thrown off a mound in camp yet because of a sore left oblique that he suffered shortly before pitchers and catchers reported.

That recovery is going very well — it was a minor injury — and he doesn't feel the pain anymore, he said. He's been doing core stabilization exercises to strengthen the area around the oblique.

"Things are progressing just the way they're hoping we would," Gregerson said.

The righty wasn't sure when he'd try to throw off a mound, but next week is possible and his availability for opening day isn't expected to be jeopardized.

Gregerson has been throwing from flat ground in the mornings with a unique throwing partner: Astros manager A.J. Hinch. They use a weighted ball some of the time, and Hinch said they've progressed to 90 feet.

"I told him I was throwing (and) I asked him if he was coming out and he said yeah, and then he came out with a glove," Gregerson said. "(I asked) 'You throwing with me?' He's like, 'Yeah, sure why not?'"

They've kept it up since.

Asked about putting the team first, Gregerson quickly pointed to the manager's words.

"I think A.J. was talking about the individual side of the game yesterday," Gregerson said. "Because a lot of it is individual. You're one person at bat, you're one person on the mound. You're the one person making the play at certain times. And there comes a time when you can be a little more selfish, and there's a time when you have to think before the play — 'Is this the right play for the team though? Is this the right play in general?' There comes a time when the individual side is taken over by the team side, and there's a time for the selfish side."

Hinch on Thursday was asked if in talking to Gregerson, he believed Gregerson would be accepting of whatever bullpen decisions he makes.

"No hypotheticals. I talk to our players all the time," Hinch said. "I meet with more players on a daily basis than people realize. They're fluid conversations that last all year. Obviously, you hit on a lot of different talks. In general, their roles are always discussed. And it's not just the closer role, you know, how do you get Marwin Gonzalez his at-bats? How do you keep (Preston) Tucker, (Jake) Marisnick sharp? How (do) you apply that Josh Fields might pitch in the fourth inning in one game or the seventh or eighth inning another game?

"I know some of the more prominent roles, there's very much curiosity about it with the fifth starter and the closer, but communication's not an issue. These guys all know where they stand and I do my best to be brutally honest with them when I need to, and also encouraging in other ways."