Rangers Notes: Cactus League Update No. 2

Infielder Jeff Baker (top) is enjoying a solid spring thus far, leading the club with 18 hits and 10 runs scored.

More than one month into full-squad spring training action, Texas has most of its everyday position players and starting pitchers in place, with just a few roster spots still up for grabs in the coming weeks.

The Rangers’ regular infield will consist of first baseman Mitch Moreland, second baseman Ian Kinsler, third baseman Adrian Beltre and shortstop Elvis Andrus. But beyond those four, no clear-cut candidate has emerged to claim the team’s reserve infielder role.

Non-roster invitee Jeff Baker has performed well in a Texas uniform so far, batting at a .529 clip (18-for-34) over 15 games while tying for the club lead with 10 runs scored and four doubles. Top-rated prospect Jurickson Profar, on the other hand, has just eight hits in 36 Cactus League at-bats this spring, and he and Mike Olt have combined for 20 strikeouts against 10 walks.

Switch-hitter Yangervis Solarte has received starts and played errorless ball at second, third and shortstop, and a pair of Brandons (Allen and Snyder) have each logged a sizeable number of innings behind Moreland at first base.

Following Josh Hamilton’s departure via free agency, David Murphy looks to settle in as the Rangers’ everyday left fielder, while Nelson Cruz — who is currently playing for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic — appears likely to remain the starting right fielder.

Craig Gentry and Leonys Martin have shared much of the playing time in center field for Texas this spring, with the more seasoned Julio Borbon hoping for another chance to make the big-league roster. Borbon is out of options and would have to clear waivers in order to be sent back to Triple-A Round Rock.

Despite being scratched from his scheduled start against the Padres last Saturday because of an inflamed toe, left-hander Matt Harrison is still penciled into the Rangers’ starting rotation to begin the season, and he could be a favorite to get the ball on Opening Day.

Second-year righty Yu Darvish would be another candidate to get the Opening Day start in Houston, while Derek Holland and Alexi Ogando figure to round out the middle of the Texas rotation.

Ryan Issues Brief Statement

On Sunday, chief executive officer Nolan Ryan made his first public remarks since the recent promotion of Jon Daniels to president of baseball operations, saying very little but seeming to indicate a desire to remain with the team.

“Over the last week, [owners] Ray Davis, Bob Simpson and I have been in discussion and met in-person,” Ryan’s statement read. “The conversations have been productive, and we have discussed my role as CEO of the organization. We agreed these discussions will continue as we go forward.

“I am very proud of what the Rangers have accomplished over the last several years, and I believe our preparations for the upcoming season are what is important.”

Eight Sent to Minor-League Camp

The ballclub on Tuesday sent outfielder Joey Butler and pitchers Jake Brigham, Justin Miller and Neil Ramirez to the Texas minor-league camp.

Earlier this month, four right-handers were also reassigned to the minors, among them Cody Buckel — the organization’s 2012 Minor-League Pitcher of the Year — as well as Roman Mendez, Yonata Ortega and Matt West.

On the flip side, right-handed relievers Lisalverto Bonilla and Ben Rowen were both promoted to the Rangers’ big-league camp this week, where they will hope to take advantage of an unsettled bullpen situation.

Rangers Notes: Cactus League Update No. 1

Yu Darvish threw two perfect innings Tuesday in his spring debut against the White Sox.

Despite winning just one of its first seven Cactus League games this spring (plus one tie), Texas remains focused on the positive aspects of camp and the progress of young players hoping to earn a spot on the club’s roster.

Making his bid to become the Rangers’ everyday center fielder, Leonys Martin is batting .412 with a team-high seven hits and two triples through a week’s worth of games, and right-hander Cory Burns has not allowed a run across three relief appearances.

Left-handed prospect Martin Perez, a candidate for the fifth spot in the Texas rotation, struck out two batters in his two perfect innings of work on Monday.

Other internal options to become the fifth starter include southpaw Robbie Ross and right-handers Justin Grimm and Randy Wells. In a breakout rookie campaign last season, Ross posted a 6-0 record over 65 innings pitched with 47 strikeouts against 23 walks.

“His aggressiveness is back,” manager Ron Washington said of Ross. “He’s using his changeup more and he’s starting to use his slider. He has to rely on more pitches because he’s trying to be a starter. He wants to be a starter and he’s doing everything he can to win that spot.”

Another ongoing competition has been for the role of the Rangers’ utility infielder, with veteran Jeff Baker and switch-hitting prospect Yangervis Solarte making the strongest impressions to this point in camp.

Like most springs, the first week of exhibition games has also yielded some particularly ugly results, as is the case with non-roster invitee Cody Buckel.

Pitching in relief of Yu Darvish Tuesday versus Chicago, Buckel issued five walks in just one-third of an inning and yielded four earned runs (six total) for a 108.00 ERA. On the bright side, the 20-year-old Buckel did not allow a hit.

And on the injury front, right-hander Kyle McClellan is dealing with back and shoulder soreness as he tries to recover from an operation performed on his throwing shoulder last July. McClellan, who spent the past five seasons with St. Louis, may be ready to throw a bullpen session later this weekend.

Berkman Singles in Rangers Debut

Designated hitter Lance Berkman is continuing to work his way back from a right calf injury, and he went 1-for-2 with a walk and two runs scored in his Cactus League debut Thursday against the Indians.

Berkman, 37, logged just 81 at-bats for the Cardinals last year, and the six-time All-Star is optimistic about putting past issues behind him and making regular contributions as the projected No. 3 hitter in Texas’ lineup.

“It was good to get the first one out of the way,” Berkman said. “Hopefully I can get into a rhythm of playing; the timing will come and I’ll be in good shape going into the season.”

The longtime Houston Astro will likely get an off day Friday, but he is expected to return to the Rangers’ lineup Saturday against the Diamondbacks.

Texas Participants Depart for WBC

The club will be without at least seven players beginning this weekend as they leave Arizona to join their respective countries for the 2013 World Baseball Classic, which gets underway on Friday.

The participants from Texas’s camp will be shortstop Elvis Andrus (Venezuela), outfielder Engel Beltre (Spain), outfielder Nelson Cruz (Dominican Republic), catcher Jose Felix (Mexico), infielder Leury Garcia (Dominican Republic), left-hander Derek Holland (United States) and minor-leaguer Gabe Suarez (Mexico).

Third baseman Adrian Beltre had been on the Dominican Republic’s initial roster, but he will skip the first round while dealing with a slight strain in his right calf muscle. Top prospect Jurickson Profar, meanwhile, recently chose not to play for the Netherlands in the Classic.

Rangers Notes: Final Starting Spot up for Grabs

Southpaw Robbie Ross enjoyed a breakout rookie season in 2012, going 6-0 with a 2.22 earned run average across 58 innings pitched.

Pitchers and catchers will report to spring training in Surprise, Ariz., next Tuesday, and the Rangers’ starting rotation is almost set with only the final spot yet to be determined.

Much of the rotation is in place with right-handers Yu Darvish and Alexi Ogando joined by lefties Matt Harrison and Derek Holland.

Two members of last year’s Opening Day staff (Neftali Feliz and Colby Lewis) are working their way back from season-ending surgeries — as is new setup reliever Joakim Soria — and won’t be ready to pitch until early- to mid-summer.

In addition, Holland will miss time in camp while pitching for the United States in this spring’s World Baseball Classic, thus creating even more of a chance for Texas’s young arms to prove their worth to the club’s upper management.

“It will give somebody an opportunity,” pitching coach Mike Maddux said. “There are going to be some innings there that we normally wouldn’t have.”

The early favorite for the fifth rotation spot may be left-hander Robbie Ross, a 2008 draft pick who emerged from the low minors last spring to claim a late-inning role in the Rangers’ bullpen.

This season, the 23-year-old Ross will be stretched out and given a shot to crack the starting five, along with fellow lefty Martin Perez and right-handers Justin Grimm, Kyle McClellan and Randy Wells.

“Last year at this time, everybody was wondering who Robbie Ross was,” Maddux said. “But he introduced himself in spring training, and it was good to meet him. It’s up to these guys to step up now.”

Although free-agent starter Kyle Lohse – who led the majors with a winning percentage of .842 last season – remains on the market, team beat writer T.R. Sullivan reported that “industry sources” believe “the Rangers don’t expect to sign either [Lohse] or outfielder Michael Bourn.”

Four More Get Big-League Invites

The club announced last week that it has extended non-roster spring training invitations to the following four minor-league players: right-handed pitchers Cody Buckel and Nick Tepesch, outfielder Joey Butler and catcher Jose Felix.

None of the four have any prior major-league experience, with Butler the only one who has played as high as the Triple-A level.

Buckel, 20, was named the organization’s Minor-League Pitcher of the Year after going 10-8 with an earned run average of 2.49 in 26 combined appearances between High-A Myrtle Beach and Double-A Frisco.

The 24-year-old Tepesch also split the season between Myrtle Beach and Frisco, posting a record of 11-6 with a 3.67 ERA over 162 total innings of work.

Butler has spent much of the last two years at Round Rock, batting .305 while averaging 16 homers and 83 runs scored, and Felix has been the main catcher for the Frisco RoughRiders since late 2010.

Theriot Draws Interest from Rangers, Indians

Ken Rosenthal reported Monday that Texas and Cleveland are among the teams showing interest in veteran free-agent infielder Ryan Theriot.

The 33-year-old Theriot has been a regular contributor for the eventual World Series champions in each of the last two seasons, first with the Cardinals in 2011 and then with the San Francisco Giants in 2012.

A career National Leaguer, Theriot had logged the majority of his big-league time with the Cubs from 2005-10 before being sent to the Dodgers in a trade-deadline deal three summers ago.

Rangers Notes: Texas Takes OF Skole with First Pick

Outfielder Jake Skole was selected by Texas with the 15th overall pick in the MLB First-Year Player Draft.

With the 15th overall pick in Monday’s First-Year Player Draft, the Rangers took outfielder Jake Skole out of Blessed Trinity High School in Roswell, Ga.

A left-handed hitter and right-handed thrower, Skole had his senior season cut short by a right ankle injury but returned to hit .452 with six home runs and 21 RBI in 14 playoff games. The two-sport star had signed a letter of intent to play football at Georgia Tech this fall, but he and the Rangers agreed to a deal worth $1.557 million on Wednesday.

Texas then selected left-handed-hitting catcher Kellin Deglan with the 22nd pick in the draft, and the club has already agreed to terms on a $1 million signing bonus with him, pending a physical. Deglan, who is from R.E. Mountain High School in Langley, British Columbia, saw his stock rise after performing well for the Canadian Junior National team.

In the Compensation A round of the draft, the team selected right-handed pitcher Luke Jackson with the 45th overall pick and took third baseman Mike Olt at No. 49. With their second-round pick (No. 72 overall), the Rangers selected right-handed pitcher Cody Buckel from Royal High School in California.

Texas selected high school players with 13 of its 29 picks on the second day of the draft, among them third baseman Steven Buechele, the son of former Rangers third baseman and current Frisco RoughRiders manager Steve Buechele. “We’re young,” club president Nolan Ryan told MLB.com. “We took a number of high school kids, but quite a few of them have a tremendous amount of upside.”