Rangers Notes: Cactus League Wrap-Up

Left fielder Ryan Rua led the ballclub with 11 runs batted in this spring while hitting five doubles, two triples and two home runs.

The Rangers ended the Cactus League portion of spring training with a record of 9-18-4 and have almost finished finalizing their active roster leading up to Monday’s season opener at O.co Coliseum.

Twenty-five-year-old Ryan Rua is expected to get the Opening Day start in left field for Texas after a solid debut late last season and a torrid performance this spring, batting .300 across 20 games (18-for-60) with nine extra-base hits and a team-leading 11 RBIs.

Rua won the starting job over more veteran players such as Ryan Ludwick, Carlos Peguero and Nate Schierholtz, as well as fellow youngsters Michael Choice and Jake Smolinski.

“I like the upside of [Rua],” Rangers manager Jeff Banister said. “He got off to a shaky start, but after he calmed down, the power showed up, the ability to hit the other way showed up. There will be some growth there for him, but I like him.”

With Rua in left, Leonys Martin in center and Shin-Soo Choo in right, Jake Smolinski will begin the season as the team’s fourth outfielder while Rule 5 Draft pick Delino DeShields is likely to stick with Texas as a pinch-runner and defensive replacement.

In the infield, 31-year-old Elliot Johnson was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers for cash on Tuesday while Adam Rosales was informed he will make the Opening Day roster as the club’s utility infielder and super-sub.

The Rangers’ starting pitching plans became a bit clearer this week when right-handers Anthony Ranaudo and Nick Tepesch were both optioned to Triple-A Round Rock, clearing the way for Nick Martinez to claim the fifth spot in the rotation.

Freeman, Verrett Acquired from Cards, O’s

Two new pieces were added to the Texas bullpen over the past week in the form of left-hander Sam Freeman and righty Logan Verrett.

Freeman, 27, was obtained last Saturday from the St. Louis Cardinals for a player to be named later or cash considerations. The Houston-born southpaw made a combined 81 relief appearances for St. Louis over the past three seasons, and he figures to be the Rangers’ situational lefty out of the ‘pen.

Verrett, 24, is a Baylor product who had spent his whole career with the New York Mets before getting picked up by Baltimore in December’s Rule 5 Draft. Texas claimed Verrett off waivers from the Orioles on Thursday.

Bullpen depth has become an issue for the Rangers with Kyuji Fujikawa, Tanner Scheppers and Shawn Tolleson all dealing with assorted ailments this spring, and one or more of those three could begin the season on the disabled list.

Texas Releases Oviedo, Wright

Right-handers Juan Carlos Oviedo and Jamey Wright were both released from their minor-league contracts over the last week, taking them out of the running for spots among the Texas relief corps.

Oviedo, who was signed by the Rangers in early January, allowed two runs in three and two-thirds innings pitched this spring, while Wright was hit hard for 11 runs across nine Cactus League appearances.

In other roster news, right-handed pitcher Ross Ohlendorf was re-assigned to the Texas minor-league camp on Saturday. Ohlendorf, 32, had not allowed an earned run over five innings but aggravated a groin injury last Thursday.

Rangers Notes: Profar Sidelined Before Camp Begins

Middle infield prospect Jurickson Profar, who just turned 22, has not seen action in a major- or minor-league game since September 2013.

Eagar to put the injury-riddled 2014 campaign behind them, the Rangers were dealt their first significant blow of the new year on Thursday when it was announced that infielder Jurickson Profar will need surgery on his right shoulder and could miss the entire upcoming season.

Profar had the option last fall of either undergoing surgery or trying to let the troublesome shoulder heal through rest and rehabilitation. He chose the latter, and he had been making progress through his winter rehab and throwing programs until now.

The root of the injury is a partially torn labrum muscle which Profar sustained in 2010 and re-aggravated last spring. He then suffered two setbacks during the season and never got into a game at any level.

“We won’t have a timetable [on recovery] until after the surgery,” Texas general manager and president of baseball operations Jon Daniels said. “Realistically the best-case scenario is to have him playing by the end of the season.

“Obviously we feel first and foremost for Jurickson. He worked hard and was in tremendous shape. He worked hard and gave rehab every possible chance to succeed. He did everything he could, it just didn’t work out.”

Regarded by many as the top overall prospect in baseball heading into the 2013 season, Profar got into 85 games that year for the Rangers and batted a respectable .234 with 11 doubles and 26 runs batted in.

His presence made longtime second baseman Ian Kinsler expendable in the November ’13 trade that sent Kinsler to Detroit in exchange for first baseman Prince Fielder. That deal backfired when Fielder was shut down in mid-May while Kinsler appeared in 161 games and led the majors with 684 at-bats.

Profar’s injury last spring created an opportunity for 20-year-old Rougned Odor to receive regular playing time at second base, and his latest setback means Odor will likely begin this spring as the everyday starter.

As for Profar’s future, only time will tell if the shoulder operation – which is to be performed on Monday by Dr. Keith Meister – could lead to diminished arm strength or accuracy.

“He has not forgotten his ability or how to play the game,” Daniels said. “My expectation if the surgery goes well and the shoulder recovers, he’ll be back and be the same player he was before the injury.

“As far as the arm strength, we’ll see how it plays out.”

Wright Signed to Minors Deal

Veteran right-hander Jamey Wright agreed to a minor-league contract with the Rangers last week that includes an invitation to major-league camp.

A first-round pick of Colorado back in 1993, Wright previously spent two seasons in a Texas uniform (2007-08), appearing in a total of 95 games while posting an even 12-12 record with a 4.41 earned run average.

The 40-year-old Wright began his career as a starter but has transitioned into one of the most oft-used relievers in baseball since Texas moved him to the bullpen in ’07.

Texas Taking a Look at Coke

Looking to add left-handed depth to their relief corps following the departures of Neal Cotts and Robbie Ross, the Rangers have been “in discussions” with free-agent southpaw Phil Coke, according to T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com.

Coke, 32, has spent the past five seasons with Detroit after beginning his big-league career with the New York Yankees.

He bounced back from a horrendous 2013 campaign (0-5 record, 5.40 ERA) to perform better across 62 relief appearances last year (5-2, 3.88).

A 40-man roster spot could be created for Coke if Texas moves Jurickson Profar to the 60-day disabled list.

Rangers Notes: Texas Keeps Rolling After All-Star Break

Derek Holland began the second half strong with his second consecutive complete-game shutout, part of a 5-0 win Thursday in Seattle.

The Rangers extended their season-best win streak to 11 games over the weekend with a four-game sweep over the Mariners at Safeco Field.

Left-hander Derek Holland – who failed to get out of the first inning in a start against Florida earlier this month – bounced back with his second consecutive complete-game shutout on Thursday, part of the Rangers’ 5-0 win over Seattle.

Holland carried a perfect game into the bottom of the sixth before walking Franklin Gutierrez and allowing a single to Chone Figgins, and he faced just six batters over the minimum on the evening.

Outfielder Josh Hamilton provided Texas with an early lead when he hit a solo homer off Mariners starter Jason Vargas in the top of the first. Nelson Cruz followed with his 21^st home run of the season in the second inning, and Michael Young stretched the lead to 3-0 with an RBI single in the third.

Mike Napoli then connected for a leadoff homer against Vargas in the top of the fifth inning, and Craig Gentry produced the game’s final run when he singled, stole second base, and came in to score on an RBI single from Elvis Andrus.

Meanwhile, Holland scattered five hits over the last four frames and walked only one batter while recording a total of eight strikeouts, becoming the first Texas pitcher to throw back-to-back shutouts since knuckleballer Charlie Hough did so in 1983.

The Rangers received another scoreless outing from their starter on Friday as Colby Lewis tossed eight-plus shutout frames before Neftali Feliz recorded the final out in the ninth.

Adrian Beltre, Endy Chavez and Josh Hamilton each contributed a run-scoring sacrifice fly in the 4-0 Texas win while Michael Young connected for an RBI single in the top of the eighth.

As for Lewis, he allowed just two hits over his first eight frames of work and finished with a total of eight strikeouts, helping to extend the scoreless-innings streak of the Texas pitching staff to 29 dating back to July 9.

Ian Kinsler helped push the Rangers’ win streak to 10 games with a pair of solo home runs Saturday, and Texas received seven quality innings from left-hander C.J. Wilson en route to a 5-1 victory in Seattle.

Kinsler gave the Rangers an early advantage when he homered leading off the ballgame against Mariners right-hander Felix Hernandez, who then settled down to retire 15 of the next 16 batters he faced.

Wilson kept Seattle off the scoreboard until the bottom of the fifth inning, when Franklin Gutierrez reached on a leadoff single, moved to second on a stolen base, and scored on Ichiro Suzuki’s game-tying single into center field.

The Rangers took the lead back for good, however, on an Elvis Andrus RBI single in the top of the sixth, then added three insurance runs off Hernandez and reliever Jamey Wright in the eighth inning. With one out, Kinsler clubbed his second solo homer of the game to extend the Texas lead to 3-1, and both Andrus and Adrian Beltre singled and eventually came around to score in the frame.

Sunday afternoon saw the Rangers wrap up the four-game sweep with a 3-1 win over the Mariners, powered by a three-run homer from Mitch Moreland and seven-plus quality innings from left-hander Matt Harrison. The victory also helped Texas extend its overall winning streak to 11 games, tied for the second-longest in club history.

Seattle starter Blake Beavan – traded by the Rangers last summer as part of the deal for Cliff Lee – had to work around Dustin Ackley’s two-out error in the first inning, although he was able to strike out Nelson Cruz with the bases loaded to end the threat.

Beavan wasn’t as fortunate in the top of the second, however, as David Murphy singled and Mike Napoli walked against him before Moreland hammered a three-run home run to deep right field, giving Texas a 3-0 lead.

Harrison, on the other hand, took a no-hitter into the fifth inning and lasted into the top of the eighth, allowing just one run on five hits while seeing his ERA (2.91) drop into the top 10 in the American League.

Rangers Notes: Cruz Sets Record with Hot Hitting

Nelson Cruz follows through on his 10th-inning, game-winning home run Monday in Cleveland.

With his home run Wednesday off Cleveland’s Justin Masterson, right fielder Nelson Cruz became the first player in history to hit six homers in the first eight games of a season without hitting more than one in any game.

Cruz also hit a two-run homer in the 10th inning Monday against former Ranger Jamey Wright to give Texas a 4-2 win over the Indians. And despite going 0-for-3 on Thursday, Cruz still leads the American League with six home runs, 12 runs batted in and a 1.172 slugging percentage.

Third baseman Michael Young had two hits Thursday against Cleveland starter David Huff, pulling him into a tie with former Rangers catcher Ivan Rodriguez for the most multi-hit games in club history (490). Young will have his first chance to break the record when he faces the Yankees’ CC Sabathia Friday in New York.

Left-handed pitcher C.J. Wilson, right-hander Darren O’Day and catcher Taylor Teagarden were kept out of action Wednesday after each came down with food poisoning following the Rangers’ 4-2 win over the Indians on Monday. Right-hander Colby Lewis started in place of Wilson, tying his career high with 10 strikeouts in just 5 and 1/3 innings. O’Day returned Thursday to pitch a scoreless eighth inning, though Teagarden did not play in either of the final two games in Cleveland. Wilson is expected to start Friday at Yankee Stadium.

And while second baseman Ian Kinsler has started taking batting and fielding drills, he is still not fully recovered from a right ankle sprain sustained early in Spring Training. Joaquin Arias, who has been getting most of the playing time in Kinsler’s absence, is batting .440 with five runs scored.