ST. LOUIS -- Ty Wigginton fielded approximately 25 ground balls on Friday without incident, and he'll begin a rehab assignment next week while the Astros are in Arizona.

Wigginton will fly to Houston on Sunday and drive to Round Rock, Texas, the next morning to begin a three-game stint with the Triple-A Express. Assuming all goes well, he'll drive back to Houston on the off-day Thursday and will be activated from the disabled list in time for the homestand opener with the Brewers.

Wigginton hasn't played since he fractured his left thumb on a tag play at third base in Chicago on April 5. At the time, doctors anticipated the bone would take a month to heal. They also surmised Wigginton wouldn't have to miss the full month. As it turns out, he missed nearly that much time during his stint on the disabled list.

"Obviously, it took a little longer than I was hoping," Wigginton said. "But if you think about it, you've got a crack in a bone. It's good timing getting back. The crack is probably still in there, but at least it's not affecting me."