Rangers Notes: Short Staff Pummeled on Long Road Trip

After giving up four runs in less than one inning pitched, Chi Chi Gonzalez (center) is removed from Saturday’s 17-5 blowout loss at Target Field.

The absence of pitchers Yu Darvish, Derek Holland and Colby Lewis has begun to loom large over the Rangers’ rotation, which has seen a starter reach the seventh inning just twice in the last 18 ballgames.

Texas hurlers were hit particularly hard on the club’s recent road swing through New York, Minneapolis and Boston, combining to allow 67 runs across 86 innings while the team suffered back-to-back series defeats for the first time all season.

Chi Chi Gonzalez was knocked around for five earned runs on 10 base hits in his 2016 debut versus the Yankees last Monday, a contest that was halted for more than three and a half hours by rain during the top of the ninth inning.

With closer Aroldis Chapman protecting a 6-5 lead for New York and clearly having control issues amid a steady downpour, Yankees manager Joe Girardi requested that the umpires inspect the mound. The decision was soon made to delay – rather than suspend – the game.

Once play resumed at 2:15 a.m. local time, the Rangers staged a four-run rally against reliever Kirby Yates that was punctuated by RBI singles from Adrian Beltre and Elvis Andrus, and Sam Dyson tossed a scoreless bottom of the ninth to earn his 16th save of the year.

Beltre hit a two-run homer off CC Sabathia in the first inning Tuesday to give Texas an early lead, which was made to hold up thanks to seven shutout frames from Cole Hamels. The Rangers scored five more times in the eighth on the way to a 7-1 victory.

They jumped to another early advantage on Wednesday and carried a 7-3 lead into the bottom of the ninth, only to see New York stage a furious comeback with six unanswered runs against Matt Bush and Sam Dyson.

Bush put the first two batters aboard before giving way to Dyson, who gave up a game-tying home run to Brian McCann followed by a two-run, walk-off shot to Didi Gregorius.

The Yankee shortstop hurt Texas again Thursday when he lifted a solo homer in the fifth inning off A.J. Griffin to tie the game, and New York salvaged a series split when Chase Headley scored on a passed ball by Robinson Chirinos in the bottom of the ninth.

Friday’s opener against Minnesota remained scoreless until the seventh inning, when Jurickson Profar’s two-run single gave the Rangers a brief lead before Trevor Plouffe answered with a game-tying homer off Martin Perez.

Leading off the top of the tenth versus left-hander Fernando Abad, Ian Desmond slammed an opposite-field home run that put Texas back in front for good, and Dyson struck out two of the three batters he faced to nail down the 3-2 win.

Poor pitching and poor defense amounted to a 17-5 defeat to the Twins on Saturday, as Gonzalez failed to make it out of the first inning while Max Kepler went deep twice and collected seven runs batted in for Minnesota.

The best performance of the afternoon for Texas came from backup catcher Bryan Holaday, who was pressed into service on the mound and did not allow a base runner in his one and one-third innings of work.

(Holaday has since been placed on the 15-day disabled list with a bruised left thumb, and outfielder Jared Hoying was recalled from Triple-A Round Rock to fill Holaday’s spot on the active roster.)

Brian Dozier drove in two runs and scored twice on Sunday as the Twins – owners of the worst record in baseball and sitting more than 20 games out of first place – held on for a 5-4 win to take the series.

Texas then wrapped up the road trip by dropping two out of three contests in Boston, with lopsided losses of 12-5 and 11-6 bookending a well-pitched 7-2 victory Tuesday. Cesar Ramos earned the win in relief of A.J. Griffin and Robinson Chirinos put the game away with a three-run blast against Craig Kimbrel in the ninth.

Desmond, Hamels Make All-Star Squad

Outfielder Ian Desmond and left-handed starter Cole Hamels were announced as the Rangers’ two All-Star representatives on Tuesday, and Hamels could be a candidate to start the game next week in his hometown of San Diego.

At the season’s mathematical halfway mark, Desmond had started all but two of Texas’ 81 games while batting .323 with 14 steals, 36 extra-base hits and 52 runs batted in. The career shortstop also made a seamless defensive transition to left and, more recently, center field.

Hamels, 32, reached the midway point with a 9-1 record across his first 16 starts, posting a 2.60 ERA, racking up 102 strikeouts and holding opponents to a .226 batting average.

The 30-year-old Desmond was previously an All-Star for Washington in 2012, and Hamels made the team in 2007, ’11 and ’12 as a member of the Phillies.

Bullpen Gets Fresh Arms

Prior to Sunday’s rubber game in Minnesota, left-hander Michael Roth was called up from Round Rock to provide the Rangers with a well-rested arm in their beleaguered bullpen.

Right-handed reliever Luke Jackson – who had been hammered for six earned runs in less than two innings the previous day – was optioned to Double-A Frisco and Colby Lewis was moved to the 60-day disabled list in a pair of corresponding roster moves.

Roth surrendered six earned runs on 10 hits in his Texas debut Monday, then was designated for assignment on Tuesday when right-hander Jose Leclerc was called up from Triple-A.

Making his major-league debut at Fenway Park, the 22-year-old Leclerc worked around a pair of walks and struck out four batters in two and two-thirds innings of scoreless relief.

Also Tuesday, outfielder Ryan Strausborger was traded to the Seattle Mariners in exchange for international bonus slot money.

Surkamp Obtained from A’s

The Rangers acquired left-hander Eric Surkamp on a waiver claim from Oakland last Wednesday and optioned him to Triple-A Round Rock. Outfielder Drew Stubbs was transferred to the 60-day disabled list to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for Surkamp.

The 28-year-old southpaw had been designated for assignment earlier in the week by the Athletics when they claimed former Ranger Nick Tepesch off waivers from the Dodgers.

Surkamp was winless across nine appearances this season for Oakland, but he posted a 3-1 record with an earned run average of 3.07 and 34 strikeouts in five starts at Triple-A Nashville.

(UPDATE: Texas has since released Surkamp and sold his contract to the Hanwha Eagles of the Korean Baseball Organization.)

Rangers Notes: Darvish’s Return Lifts Texas into First Place

Yu Darvish is 2-0 across his first two major-league starts this season, striking out 12 batters while issuing just two free passes.

Backed by a pair of strong starts from a healthy Yu Darvish, the Rangers moved past Seattle in the American League West standings and now hold a three-game division lead over the Mariners following a weekend sweep in Arlington.

Darvish made his first big-league start in nearly two years May 28 against Pittsburgh, scattering three hits and recording seven strikeouts across five innings as Texas cruised to a 5-2 victory.

After he retired the side in the top of the first, Darvish’s teammates gave the three-time All-Star some quick support with three runs off Pirates right-hander Juan Nicasio. Jurickson Profar led off with a single and came around to score before Adrian Beltre launched a two-run homer to center field.

Mitch Moreland took Nicasio deep in the bottom of the fourth to pad the Rangers’ lead, and Darvish allowed his only run on an RBI single from Cole Figueroa in the fifth.

Relievers Tony Barnette, Jake Diekman and Matt Bush followed Darvish on the mound with one scoreless inning apiece, and Sam Dyson permitted one run before retiring Sean Rodriguez to seal the win for Texas.

Pittsburgh had rolled to a 9-1 rout over the Rangers and Cole Hamels the night before, setting up a rubber match Sunday between southpaws Martin Perez and Francisco Liriano.

The Pirates drew first blood against Perez, scoring one run on Andrew McCutchen’s first-inning RBI double and another on David Freese’s solo homer in the third.

In the bottom of the fourth, Prince Fielder hit a towering home run to right field off Liriano – his first long ball in more than a month – before walks to Beltre and Ryan Rua set the table for Moreland’s go-ahead three-run shot.

The Texas bullpen trio of Bush, Barnette and Dyson combined to allow just one hit over three shutout innings as the Rangers took the series with a 6-2 win.

After winning two out of three games at Progressive Field in Cleveland last week (the only defeat courtesy of Yan Gomes’ walk-off single in the 11th inning on Wednesday), Texas returned to Globe Life Park for a weekend matchup against the Mariners.

Darvish was given an early lead with which to work again Friday, retiring the side in order before Beltre hammered a three-run home run off Seattle starter Taijuan Walker in the bottom of the first.

Beltre would later add a two-run double to finish the night with five RBIs, and Darvish was backed up by another solid performance from the bullpen as part of a 7-3 victory for Texas.

On Saturday, Perez scattered six hits and allowed single runs in three different innings, but he was bailed out by a potent Rangers offense that scored early and often against Nathan Karns.

Nomar Mazara’s sacrifice fly brought home the first tally for Texas, and Rua followed with a two-run double down the left-field line. Holding a 5-3 lead in the fifth inning, the Rangers scored four more times to put the game out of reach, with Elvis Andrus’ three-run homer off Vidal Nuno the nail in Seattle’s coffin.

Texas fell behind 2-0 Sunday when Nelson Cruz blasted a two-run shot off former teammate Derek Holland, but the Rangers’ lineup rallied for three runs against Hisashi Iwakuma in the bottom of the fifth.

A single from Rougned Odor and a fielding error by Seattle’s Luis Sardinas set up Jared Hoying’s run-scoring single to put Texas on the board. Andrus came home when Bobby Wilson followed with a sac fly, and Profar provided the go-ahead run on an opposite-field RBI single.

Holland was followed on the hill by shutout performances from Bush, Diekman and Dyson, who tossed a perfect ninth inning to complete the 3-2 win and earn his seventh save of the year.

Young to Join Team Hall of Fame

Former infielder Michael Young was announced as the 20th member of the Texas Rangers Baseball Hall of Fame on Friday, and he will be inducted during a pregame ceremony next month in Arlington.

The seven-time All-Star spent 13 of his 14 major-league seasons with Texas, collecting more total bases (3,286), hits (2,230), runs (1,085), doubles (415) and triples (55) than any player in franchise history.

Young took home the 2005 A.L. batting title with a .331 average and the following year was named MVP of the All-Star Game at Pittsburgh’s PNC Park.

“It means a lot,” he said. “Obviously nowadays it’s rare that a player spends as much time with a team but it was a great time for me … reaching new heights. To be in one place like that for a long time and have the relationship with the fans, it’s very special.”

After splitting his final season between the Phillies and Dodgers, Young returned to Texas and officially retired in a Rangers uniform on Jan. 31, 2014.

Roster Reinforced with Darvish, Profar

When Rougned Odor’s seven-game suspension began on May 27, infielder Jurickson Profar was recalled from Triple-A Round Rock as right-hander Shawn Tolleson was placed on Major League Baseball’s family medical emergency list.

Joey Gallo was optioned back to Triple-A the following day in order to clear an active roster spot for Yu Darvish, and more transactions were needed when Odor and Tolleson re-joined the club a week later.

On Friday, Tolleson was reinstated while left-hander Alex Claudio was optioned to Triple-A, and Hanser Alberto followed Claudio to Round Rock on Saturday when Tom Wilhelmsen was recalled by the Rangers.

In addition, right-handed swingman Nick Tepesch – who had a chance to earn the fifth starter’s role during spring training – requested and was granted his unconditional release Saturday.

Rangers Notes: Cactus League Wrap-Up

Former TCU Horned Frog Bryan Holaday will join the Rangers in Arlington this weekend for their exhibition games against Cleveland.

Amid the usual flurry of in-house roster moves that accompanies the end of spring training, Texas dealt catcher Bobby Wilson and right-handed pitcher Myles Jaye to Detroit on Tuesday in exchange for 28-year-old backstop Bryan Holaday.

A Dallas native who attended W.T. White High School before playing for TCU, Holaday is expected to be on the club’s Opening Day roster as the primary backup to Robinson Chirinos. Chris Gimenez had been penciled into the backup role all spring, but an ankle infection has put his status in jeopardy.

Holaday was facing an uphill battle for playing time as a member of the Tigers, with starting catcher Brian McCann and free-agent signee Jarrod Saltalamacchia both ahead of him on the depth chart.

Since he was out of minor-league options, Holaday would have needed to clear waivers if Detroit wanted to outright him to Triple-A – a scenario that was unlikely after he batted an impressive .438 with four home runs and 12 runs batted in across just 16 Grapefruit League games this spring.

The Rangers were reported to have explored trades for Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy as well as San Diego’s Derek Norris during the offseason, but nothing ever came to fruition with those teams.

Left-handed reliever Sam Freeman was designated for assignment in order to clear a spot for Holaday on the 40-man roster.

A.J. Griffin (who has not pitched in a major-league game since 2013) appears to have won the competition for the fifth spot in the Texas rotation, although the ballclub has not made any official announcement to that end.

In-house contenders Chi Chi Gonzalez and Nick Tepesch were sent to the minors last Friday, and non-roster invitee Jeremy Guthrie was granted his release on Monday after learning he would not be in the rotation to start the season.

Right-hander Nick Martinez was then optioned to Triple-A Round Rock on Tuesday afternoon, leaving Griffin as the last man standing in a race that saw no candidate emerge as a clear front-runner.

Also Tuesday, infielder Pedro Ciriaco was re-assigned to the team’s minor-league camp, a sign that offseason favorite Hanser Alberto has indeed won the utility bench role for Texas.

The Rangers completed the Cactus League portion of spring training with a 17-13 record (plus one tie), and they will host Cleveland for two exhibition games this weekend at Globe Life Park before opening the season Monday versus Seattle.

Stubbs Released, Signed by Atlanta

Outfielder Drew Stubbs was given his release on Tuesday after opting out of his minor-league contract with Texas, and he was signed to a similar deal with the Atlanta Braves the next very day.

Stubbs – who appeared in 31 games for Texas down the stretch and into the playoffs last year – became a free agent following the World Series, and he tested the open market before eventually returning to the Rangers on a minor-league pact in late February.

In another roster move, 27-year-old outfielder James Jones was re-assigned to minor-league camp on Saturday, leaving right-handed batters Ryan Rua and Justin Ruggiano as the remaining options to fill the team’s backup outfield role.

Grieve, Jones Tabbed for First Pitch

Longtime Rangers broadcaster Tom Grieve and coach Bobby Jones will throw out the ceremonial first pitch(es) before Monday’s regular season opener at Globe Life Park.

Grieve and Jones both began their playing careers in the Washington Senators organization before the franchise moved to Texas, and each is celebrating his 50th year in professional baseball.

Left-hander Cole Hamels (13-8 record/2.46 ERA/215 strikeouts in 2015) is slated to take the hill Monday against Mariners ace Felix Hernandez (18-9/3.53/191) at 3:05 p.m.

Rangers Notes: Cactus League Update No. 3

Nick Tepesch is one of several candidates for the fifth spot in the Texas rotation, and nobody has been able to separate themselves from the pack.

It has been more than a month since pitchers and catchers reported to Surprise, Ariz., but the Rangers appear to be no closer to solidifying the fifth starter’s spot than they were when camp began.

Following the top four of Cole Hamels (who will be the Opening Day starter for Texas on Apr. 4), Derek Holland, Colby Lewis and Martin Perez, a slew of contenders have endured some rocky spring outings in their quest for the final rotation spot.

Non-roster invitees A.J. Griffin and Jeremy Guthrie may have had an early edge because of their past major-league success, but both have Cactus League ERAs over 5.00 and gave up multiple home runs in their most recent appearances.

Also in the mix are Chi Chi Gonzalez, Nick Martinez and Nick Tepesch, all right-handers who have spent their entire professional careers in the Rangers’ organization. Their spring performances have left much to be desired, as the trio has combined to allow 32 earned runs across 31 innings pitched.

Thirty-one-year-old southpaw Cesar Ramos has received consideration as well, although he is thought to be a long shot as he has made just 10 career major-league starts (versus 241 relief appearances).

With two weeks left until Texas opens its season against Seattle, the team brass is hopeful that a strong candidate will emerge to claim the fifth spot.

“I am confident we will field a rotation that we feel good about,” general manager Jon Daniels said. “If we have to make adjustments, we will. We did last year. If you look at our rotation [in 2015] from start to finish, it was drastically different.”

One of the biggest projected strengths of the Rangers is their bullpen, and newcomer Tony Barnette has put himself in good position to earn one of the roles still up for grabs.

The hard-throwing right-hander – who is seeking to become just the 12th Alaska-born player to reach the major leagues – has racked up 10 strikeouts (against no walks) across seven Cactus League innings of work.

Free-agent signee Ian Desmond has put together a solid spring while making the switch from shortstop to left field, and he has even logged some innings in center field. Desmond is batting a robust .397 with two doubles and five runs scored in his 12 games for Texas.

Hanser Alberto and Pedro Ciriaco are the two primary contenders for the backup infielder’s role, and catchers Chris Gimenez, Michael McKenry and Bobby Wilson are engaged in a similar battle for playing time behind starter Robinson Chirinos.

Top Prospects Sent to Minors

The Rangers trimmed their spring training roster by nine players on Monday with a series of cuts that included top prospects Joey Gallo, Nomar Mazara and Jurickson Profar.

Those three – along with pitchers Alex Claudio and Anthony Ranaudo – were optioned to Triple-A Round Rock while outfielders Lewis Brinson and Ryan Cordell, infielder Drew Robinson and right-hander Francisco Mendoza were assigned to minor-league camp.

Gallo and Mazara both posted impressive numbers this spring but would not have had an everyday role at the big-league level, and Profar did not help his case by making four errors in 54 total chances after missing the past two years due to shoulder injuries.

Darvish Progressing Well in Rehab

Although he still has not faced live hitters this spring, right-hander Yu Darvish is slowly building arm strength and continuing his throwing program as he comes back from reconstructive Tommy John surgery.

Darvish threw off a full mound late last month for the first time since his operation, and he has gradually increased his workload along with his repertoire of pitches over the past three weeks.

“He threw all his pitches, probably the best slider I’ve seen,” Texas pitching coach Doug Brocail said after a throwing session Saturday morning. “His break on [the slider] two days ago was good but not near the zone. Today it was extremely good and in the zone.”

The Rangers are hopeful that Darvish will be able to return to major-league action sometime between May and June.

Rangers Notes: Cactus League Update No. 2

Prince Fielder, hitting just .143 with no extra-base hits this spring, was diagnosed with sleep apnea last week.

Although spring training statistics mean nothing once the regular season begins, the Rangers have looked sharp so far with a Cactus League record of 8-3-1 while leading all MLB teams in batting average (.326) as well as on-base percentage (.389).

The two most significant developments of camp have come from the right side of the Texas infield, where second baseman Rougned Odor has been dealing with tightness in his oblique muscle while first baseman Prince Fielder learned what had been causing him to have restless nights.

Fielder came back to the metroplex to undergo a sleep study last Wednesday, and he returned to the team’s spring complex in Arizona on Friday with a diagnosis of sleep apnea.

“I wasn’t panicking,” Fielder said. “I just wanted to make sure I was okay. I felt like I was sleeping long, but I wasn’t feeling rested. That was my concern, trying to figure out what was wrong with that.

“Now that I know what it is, it’s good. I can breathe through the night now.”

As for Odor, he was scratched from the starting lineup last Tuesday with a strained right oblique muscle and has not played since. In his absence, non-roster invitees Pedro Ciriaco and Drew Robinson have received most of the playing time at second base for Texas.

After taking full batting practice on Sunday, the Rangers are hopeful that Odor can return to action later this week.

Elsewhere on the diamond, outfielders Ryan Rua and Justin Ruggiano have both worked out at first base, where they could be used as a right-handed complement to Fielder or Mitch Moreland.

Ian Desmond is continuing his transition from shortstop to left field, reaching out to four-time Gold Glove award winner Alex Gordon for advice on making the switch from corner infield to corner outfield.

Each of the top four members of the projected starting rotation (Cole Hamels, Derek Holland, Colby Lewis and Martin Perez) have appeared in at least one “A” game, with candidates for the fifth spot (Chi Chi Gonzalez, Jeremy Guthrie, Nick Martinez and Nick Tepesch) receiving starts as well.

Out of the bullpen, newcomer Tony Barnette began the spring with three straight scoreless outings before allowing a pair of runs Friday against Milwaukee, and closer Shawn Tolleson has not appeared in a game yet because of tightness in his lower back.

Beltre Seeks Three-Year Deal

It was reported Wednesday that third baseman Adrian Beltre is interested in a contract extension that could keep him with the Rangers beyond his 40th birthday.

According to Jon Heyman of MLB Network, Beltre – who will turn 37 in April – would like a three-year deal from the ballclub in the range of $19 million annually, similar to the one Pablo Sandoval received from Boston last winter.

Beltre will earn $18 million this season, which is the last of the six-year deal he signed with Texas in January 2011.

The four-time All-Star batted .287 with 32 doubles last year while playing most of the season with a torn ligament in his left thumb, which he had surgically repaired following the playoffs.

Deglan among First Roster Cuts

Left-handed-hitting catcher Kellin Deglan was one of three players re-assigned to minor-league camp by the Rangers on Saturday, along with pitchers Miles Jaye and Scott Williams.

Deglan, 23, was taken out of high school by Texas in the first round of the 2010 draft (No. 22 overall) and has made a steady climb through the Rangers’ farm system over the past six seasons.

Jaye and Williams, both non-roster righties, had appeared in two Cactus League games apiece for Texas.

(UPDATE: In another round of roster moves Monday afternoon, right-hander Steve Johnson was released while Pat Kivlehan was optioned to Triple-A Round Rock and Jose Leclerc, Yohander Mendez and Connor Sadzeck were optioned to Double-A Frisco.)