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Breaking Down Pitching Matchups in Diamondbacks vs. Giants Series

The Arizona Diamondbacks are off to one of the club’s worst starts in franchise history, starting 2-7 for the first time since 2003.

After having an off-day on April 7, the D’Backs begin a three-game series at the San Francisco Giants on April 8. The Giants have already beaten the D’Backs three times after playing a four-game series last week.

Although the offense has provided plenty of runs, the Diamondbacks need a boost from their pitching staff.  The club has a collective 6.15 ERA and Wade Miley is the only pitcher with a crooked number in the win column.

It is early but this is a crucial series for the Diamondbacks. Pitching is going to play a vital role in the club’s attempt to win its first series of the season.

 

Trevor Cahill vs. Tim Hudson

The first of the three-game series will feature Trevor Cahill and Tim Hudson taking the mound against each other for the second time this season.

It was Cahill’s best start of the season so far. Unfortunately, it was also the same game that the offense was shut out for the first and only time this season. This chart shows the numbers for both pitchers during the April 2 matchup.

Cahill is going to need another strong performance for Arizona to come away with the win. The Giants have scored the fourth-most runs and have the third-best slugging percentage in Major League Baseball.

Plus, Hudson has a career 8-1 record and 1.99 ERA against the Diamondbacks.

 

Bronson Arroyo vs. Tim Lincecum

Wednesday’s matchup will be more favorable for the Diamondbacks.

Bronson Arroyo has pitched well throughout his career against the Giants, although he lasted just 4.1 innings on April 3 after hitting the 82-pitch mark. He missed most of spring training with a sore back and should have a longer leash for his second start.

Tim Lincecum has not fared well against the current Arizona offense. Most notably, Paul Goldschmidt has hit six homers off Lincecum in 23 career at-bats. The fifth home run can be seen in the video.

This chart shows the success of three Diamondbacks against Lincecum.

For the Diamondbacks, allowing Arroyo to lift his pitch count will be the difference.

 

Randall Delgado vs. Ryan Vogelsong

The final game of the three-game series also leans in favor of the Diamondbacks.

Randall Delgado has given up just two runs in three career starts against the Giants while holding the current roster to a .193 batting average over 18.2 innings.

Ryan Vogelsong has not had the same success against the Diamondbacks. Only Mark Trumbo and Cliff Pennington have failed to record a hit against Vogelsong in 11 combined at-bats. The rest of the offense has a collective .306 batting average.

Vogelsong’s inability to keep Arizona hitters off base gives Delgado the advantage. It is a good opportunity for the 24-year-old to get his first win of the season.

Given the pitching matchups, the Diamondbacks have an opportunity to win their first series of the season. It is also an opportunity for the rotation to gain some confidence moving forward.

 

All stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com and ESPN.com

You can follow Trey on Twitter @treydwarren

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com


Should Max Scherzer Leave Detroit After Miguel Cabrera Deal?

The Detroit Tigers signed two-time MVP Miguel Cabrera on Thursday to the highest payout in MLB history per Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.

Heyman wrote that the extension was worth $248 million over eight years, which means he will be paid $292 million over the next 10 years with the two years he had remaining on his old deal. The deal was made just a few days after contract talks ceased with Cy Young winner Max Scherzer.

Should the deal with Cabrera influence Scherzer to test the open market after this season?

Scherzer is fresh off his best season as a big leaguer, setting career-highs in wins (21), ERA (2.90) and WHIP (0.970), including taking home his first Cy Young award. The 29-year-old is currently on the books for a one-year, $15.53 million deal.

Jon Morosi of Fox Sports tweeted on March 23 that the Tigers offered Scherzer six years and $144 million but the right-hander was looking for eight years, per ESPN’s Jim Bowden. The club did not help its cause when it issued a statement making their Cy Young winner sound difficult to negotiate with.

The Detroit Tigers have made a substantial, long-term contract extension offer to Max Scherzer that would have placed him among the highest paid pitchers in baseball, and the offer was rejected. As we have reiterated, it has been the organization’s intent to extend Max’s contract and keep him in a Tigers uniform well beyond the 2014 season. While this offer would have accomplished that, the ballclub’s focus remains on the start of the upcoming season, and competing for a World Championship. Moving forward there will be no further in-season negotiation and the organization will refrain from commenting on this matter.

With Scherzer set to be a free-agent, it would not be a bad idea to look for a new club to pitch for. The Tiger’s will be paying four players at least $16 million each in 2015, including Cabrera and Justin Verlander, who will make $22 million and $28 million respectively.

In a rotation that already features Verlander and Annibal Sanchez, why not give Scherzer the money he wants? It seems odd that the Tigers wouldn’t fork over the deal he is looking for and keep one of the best rotations in baseball intact. 

Not giving him eight years gives Scherzer an incentive to get out of town. It gives an impression that the organization doesn’t value him as much as they value Verlander. Especially considering the performances of each righty last season.

That doesn’t mean that Detroit wouldn’t be willing to give $24 million annually to Scherzer, which is what the deal that was offered would be worth. The eight-year deal he wants would put the contract number at $192 million.

But for a guy who has improved his numbers over the past three seasons, as seen in the chart below, can you argue with him wanting eight years? Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports argues that Scherzer’s total pitch count after six major league seasons is far lower than other aces when they received their big extensions.

“Of course, he and agent Scott Boras can argue his wear and tear pales compared to those peers and thus positions him in the proper place to seek more,” wrote Passan.

It would make perfect sense for Scherzer to test the open market. There would be no shortage in teams interested in his services. He has pitched at least 30 games each season over the past five years and has a career strike out rate of 9.4 per nine innings.

On top of that, Bowden says Scherzer has injury protection through an insurance policy. It would make the former Missouri Tiger more willing to test free agency if he doesn’t get the deal he wants.

Scherzer has been one of the top pitchers in baseball over the past couple of years. He should test the open market and get the deal he is looking for after this season.

All stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com

You can follow Trey on Twitter @treydwarren

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com


Who’s Hot, Who’s Not for Arizona Diamondbacks Entering Australia Series

The oddly-scheduled opening day for the Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Dodgers is just a couple of days away.

Spring training will halt for the two teams while they play two regular-season games in Australia. Some Diamondbacks have been locked in over the first half of March, while others have not. Luckily, those who haven’t played well will get four more exhibition games after their two-game stint down under.

For those who haven’t been following spring training, here is an update on who has been playing well and who has been struggling.

Who’s Hot

Martin Prado has been scalding throughout March. He is hitting .475 in 40 at-bats, which leads the team and is one of the best in the Cactus and Grapefruit leagues. Of his 19 hits, he has slugged one home run and six doubles.

A.J. Pollock is next on the list with a .425 batting average in 40 at-bats. He has a homer, four doubles and three triples and has scored eight times.

Gerardo Parra is another player who came ready to play this spring. In 38 at-bats, Parra is hitting .342 with three doubles and seven RBI. He is also second on the team with five walks, trailing Paul Goldschmidt’s total of six.

On the pitching side, Wade Miley has probably had the best spring in terms of starters. In three starts, he has pitched 14 innings and has a 1.29 ERA and a WHIP of 1.07. He has compiled 11 strikeouts while walking three and giving up just two earned runs.

Josh Collmenter also makes the list. He has appeared in seven games and has yet to give up a run in 9.1 innings. Opponents have hit just .129 against him, and he has posted a 0.54 WHIP.

Who’s Not

For those who are struggling, we will start with the pitchers.

Trevor Cahill has had the worst spring of any Arizona pitcher. In 16 innings, Cahill has surrendered 14 earned runs and 26 hits, four of which were homers. His ERA is 7.88, and opponents are hitting .382 against him.

Brad Ziegler is another hurler who has struggled this spring. In his six appearances, he has given up nine hits and eight earned runs in 5.1 innings on the mound. He has also walked four batters and struck out only one.

Randall Delgado has started three games and thrown 11.1 innings. He has given up three home runs in his time on the mound, compiling a 5.56 ERA. He is one of five pitchers to give up more than one long ball this spring.

Getting back to the batter’s box, newly acquired Matt Tuiasosopo hasn’t hit well this spring. In 34 at-bats, he has posted a dreadful .118 batting average and has struck out 14 times. His four hits are the second lowest total of any Diamondback with at least 30 ABs.

Didi Gregorius is also struggling at the plate. He has a .205 batting average in 39 at-bats and has scored just one run. Gregorius has also been successful stealing a base once in three tries.

Tony Campana is the only Diamondback with at least six hits to not have an extra base hit. His batting average is only .216, and he has struck out nine times in 37 at-bats. The only bright spot for Campana is the five stolen bases he has compiled.

All stats courtesy of MLB.com unless otherwise noted.

You can follow Trey on Twitter @treydwarren

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com


Texas Rangers: Breakout Performances from First 2 Weeks of Spring Training

After a couple of weeks, some members of the Texas Rangers are standing out from the others.

In fact, there are eight players who have a .300 batting average or higher while playing in at least eight games. Of the eight, only two of them played extensive time in the big leagues last season.

And even though it is spring training, it is worthy to note the players who are breaking out this spring. Many of them have seen a wide array of talent on the mound and in the batter’s box.

However, there hasn’t been a pitcher who has really stood out from the rest of the staff so we are going to look at hitters here.

Here are five breakout performances through the first two weeks of spring training.

 

Brent Lillibridge, 3B

Brent Lillibridge has had the hottest bat so far in spring training.

He has played in eight games and is hitting .438 with one homer and three RBI. The only blemish on his spring resume is a lone strikeout. Other than that, he is spraying the ball all over the diamond and has committed just one error over 36 innings.

The Rangers are the seventh team Lillibridge has played for in six years. Although the Texas infield is full, it would be difficult for the Rangers not to keep him on the 25-man roster if he continues to hit the way he has been.

 

Robinson Chirinos, C

Geovany Soto hasn’t seen much playing time due to an injury, and Robinson Chirinos is seizing the opportunity of extended playing time.

Chirinos has struck out six times in 17 at-bats, which account for nearly every out this spring. But he also has seven hits, making for a .414 batting average with four RBI and two walks. His .474 OBP is the highest of any other player with more than one game played.

He has thrown out three base-stealers in four attempts and has caught as many innings as J.P. Arencibia. Chirinos is really making most of the innings he has been given this spring.

 

Keven Kouzmanoff, 3B

Kevin Kouzmanoff hasn’t played in the big leagues for two years but is enjoying his first spring with the Rangers.

The 32-year-old is hitting .333 in 16 games so far. He is second on the team with six RBI and third in runs scored with six. He has one home run and has been walked three times.

Kouzmanoff has played 61 innings in the field, which is also the second most on the club. He has yet to commit an error and has split time at first base and third base.

After two years in the minors, Kouzmanoff is looking to prove he belongs on the 25-man roster.

 

Michael Choice, OF

Michael Choice’s performance so far this spring should be helping fans get over the trade that saw Craig Gentry go to the Oakland A’s.

Choice has played in 15 games this spring and is hitting .323 in 31 at-bats. He has one homer, a double and a triple and has driven in three runs.  He is tied with Chirinos for the most strikeouts on the team (6) and has yet to draw a walk.

Cutting down on swings is something Choice will learn over the rest of spring ball. Expect to see him getting quite a bit of playing time when the regular season gets going.

 

Jurickson Profar, 2B

Although Jurickson Profar hasn’t played defensively, he is showing promise at the dish.

Profar has more at-bats (40) than any player. He is hitting .300 and has driven in a team-high 11 runs. He has three doubles and two home runs to his credit, one of which was a grand slam.

He also has a team-high eight runs scored.

Getting at-bats is key for Profar, who had scattered playing time over the course of 2013. Letting him hit every day is more important than getting him his first live groundball.

 

All stats courtesy of MLB.com unless otherwise noted.

You can follow Trey on Twitter @treydwarren

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com


What Arizona Diamondbacks Can Expect from Mark Trumbo in 2014

The Arizona Diamondbacks‘ biggest offseason move was acquiring Mark Trumbo from the Los Angeles Angels back on Dec. 10.

He is nothing short of a power hitter, slugging at least 29 homers each year since 2011. Trumbo and teammate Paul Goldschmidt are going to provide headaches in the top half of the lineup, especially with left-handed hitting Miguel Montero batting in between them.

What can fans expect from their newest acquisition?

Trumbo has played the first four years of his big league career with the Angels. More recently, he has been in the background as Los Angeles spent millions and millions of dollars on guys like Albert Pujols and Josh Hamilton.

Looking at the trade, the 28-year-old got the upper hand in the deal. He won’t be playing first base anymore, a position he struggled with in Los Angeles. He gets 81 games in a dome, three times as many games he has played in a dome in his entire career (27).

Let’s start with the bad side and get it out of the way.

Trumbo whiffs at a ton of pitches. He has increased his strikeout total in each season since becoming a starter in 2011. He struck out 120 times in 149 games that year, and the Californian followed that up in 2012 with 153 punchouts in 144 games. Last season, he had 184 strikeouts in 159 games.

Is that number going to drop? Yes. Of the 184 strikeouts from last season, 98 of them came in his division, the American League West. Thirty-one of those came against the Texas Rangers and 25 came from the Seattle Mariners.

The reason it will improve is because the 2014 NL West will not have the same type of pitching the 2013 AL West had. Yes, the Dodgers have Clayton Kershaw and Zach Greinke, and the Giants have Madison Bumgarner and Matt Cain.

However, many of the pitching staffs in the NL West are loaded with finesse pitchers, the type Trumbo has been most successful against in his career. More than half (49) of his career home runs (95) have come against finesse pitchers, with another 31 homers against hurlers who average a little of both power and finesse.

As for power numbers, don’t except a huge increase. Hitting at Chase Field for 81 games will be beneficial to his home run total. Trumbo should go ahead and make his reservations at Friday’s Front Row for the 2014 season.

His new divisional foes do not sport the friendliest of parks for hitters, though. Only three major league parks saw fewer home runs than the Giants’ AT&T Park. Dodger Stadium had the sixth-fewest long balls and the Padres‘ Petco Park had the ninth fewest.

Of course, the exception in the NL West is the Rockies’ Coors Field and its thin air.

Trumbo hit 19 of his 34 homers last season at home, which again is good for the home crowd at Chase Field. Last season also marked the first season of his career in which he drove in at least 100 runs. He should be able to do it again with the hitters that precede him in the lineup.

Gerardo Parra and Aaron Hill are expected to hit first and second, respectively. They will be followed by Paul Goldschmidt and Miguel Montero, who didn’t have his best season last year.

With the exception of Mike Trout, those players have better numbers in terms of getting on base than those who preceded Trumbo in Anaheim.

Trumbo isn’t a guy who is going to be on base all the time, rounding the bases and scoring runs. His career high is 85 runs, which he earned last season. He doesn’t walk very often and isn’t threatening enough to get a free pass.

He has been intentionally walked just 15 times in his career. His new leadoff hitter has more than double that with only one more year of MLB service.

He is going to take his hacks and drive the ball into the gap, over the wall or nothing at all. Trumbo is a home run threat when he comes up to the plate but can be an easy strikeout victim.

However, sometimes all it takes is a change of scenery for a player to show just how good he is.

All stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com

You can follow Trey on Twitter @ treydwarren

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com


Texas Rangers’ Spring Training To-Do List

The Texas Rangers did plenty of housekeeping during the offseason.

Prince Fielder was brought in to provide a power bat from the left side. That deal sent Ian Kinsler to Detroit and opened up a spot for Jurickson Profar at second base. Shin-Soo Choo was signed to fill out the outfield and take over the leadoff spot.

As a result, there are only a couple of things that manager Ron Washington has to take care of during spring training.

Here is the club’s to-do list.

 

Pick a New Closer

Now that Joe Nathan is gone, the team is looking for a new player to slam the door in the ninth.

Luckily for Texas, there are three guys who could potentially take over: Joakim Soria, Neftali Feliz and Tanner Scheppers.

Soria was the former closer in Kansas City before Tommy John surgery forced him to miss the 2012 season. Before that, he completed 160 saves in 180 opportunities from 2006-11. He averaged 9.8 strikeouts per nine innings and had an ERA of 2.50 during that span.

Feliz closed for the Rangers from 2010-11 before moving to the starting rotation the next year. He too had to undergo Tommy John surgery in 2012 and did not return until September of last season. The 25-year-old converted 74 of 84 save opportunities and struck out 8.8 batters per nine innings.

Scheppers was the setup man for Texas in 2013 and did a nice job. He appeared in 76 games, which was the most of any Ranger reliever. He posted a 1.88 ERA and earned 27 holds in 76.2 innings. Scheppers throws the hardest of the three pitchers but needs to upgrade his slider.

It is an issue most teams would love to have. Washington will have the month of March to choose his closer.

And if it doesn’t work out, he still has extra options.

 

Finalize Rotation

The club still needs one more starter to fill out the rotation.

Yu Darvish is obviously at the top, followed by Martin Perez, Alexi Ogando and Matt Harrison. However, per Drew Davison of the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram (h/t Dayn Perry of CBS Sports), Harrison was shut down from baseball activities on Feb. 20, which may hurt his chances of being ready in April.

Texas signed Tommy Hanson on Feb. 14 as another option for the rotation. He is looking to make a comeback from a disappointing 2013 campaign in which he also missed time due to the death of his brother.

Colby Lewis is a fan favorite and has a shot of filling in the No. 5 spot. He has not pitched since 2012 after elbow and hip surgeries stalled comebacks to the big leagues. The 34-year-old signed a minor league deal back in November and received an invitation to spring training.

Nick Tepesch is another option for the Rangers. He made his debut last season in April and started 17 games for the club, going 4-6 with a 4.84 ERA. He won the No. 5 spot out of spring training last year. 

It is also unlikely the Rangers will go with one of their top prospects to start the season. Alex Gonzalez split time between Low-A Spokane and High-A Myrtle Beach in his first year in the organization. Luke Jackson also spent most of his time in Myrtle Beach, but he had a small stint with Double-A Frisco.

Either way, this is another position Washington has a full litter to choose from. Spring training will be a battleground for two premium spots on the roster.

 

All stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.

You can follow Trey on Twitter @treydwarren.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com


Matt Harrison Is Key to Texas Rangers’ 2014 Season

A healthy pitcher was hard to come by for the Texas Rangers in 2013.

Eleven different pitchers started at least two games for the club last season.  Only Yu Darvish and Derek Holland started more than 30, and Martin Perez was the only other hurler to hit the 20-game mark.

That is why Matt Harrison will be the key for the Texas Rangers’ success this season.

Harrison is coming off of multiple back surgeries that limited him to just two starts last year. He has been throwing and completed a bullpen session of 44 pitches on Feb. 16. He is expected to be ready to go by Feb. 28, which marks Texas’ first spring training game.

The 28-year-old will most likely be the third or fourth starter in the rotation. Darvish, Perez and maybe Alexi Ogando well precede him, depending on whether or not manager Ron Washington wants to split his southpaws. 

It’s odd to think that a guy who won 18 games in 2012 and was the 2013 Opening Day starter is in the middle to back end of the rotation. What makes it good is it shows how strong the team’s starting pitching has become.

Harrison didn’t pitch well in his two starts last year. He gave up 10 earned runs in 10.2 innings, walking seven and giving up 11 hits. He did strike out 12 batters, but nine came against the Houston Astros, who broke the major league record for most strikeouts in a single season.

Was it the back pain he complained of after his second start that caused him to pitch poorly?

It is a good question. No matter what the answer is, the Rangers missed Harrison immensely during the course of 2013. If he was around, this team wouldn’t have had to play 163 games to try to reach the playoffs.

When it was declared that Harrison needed surgery, Washington struggled to find a permanent replacement.

Once you get past Darvish, Holland, Perez and Ogando, not a single Texas starter had a winning record last season. That includes Matt Garza, whom Texas traded half the farm system (to the Chicago Cubs) to acquire.

The offense was also a large component of the team’s failure to reach the playoffs in 2013. But even when it was scoring runs, starters who were not on the Opening Day roster had a hard time keeping opponents from rounding the bases, except Perez of course.

Again, once you go past Darvish, Holland, Perez and Ogando, the struggle to find a reliable starter is clear. Those were the only four Rangers starters to have an ERA under 4.00 in 2013.

That is what makes Harrison so valuable to the Rangers this upcoming season. He pitched at least 185 innings the past two seasons after moving from the bullpen to the rotation in 2011.

He may not strike out a lot of guys and gives up quite a few hits; however, the difference between him and his replacements was his ERA. In 2011, it was 3.39 and slightly improved to 3.29 in 2012. Although he has given up an average of 9.4 hits per nine innings over the course of his career, he has been able to limit damage and get out of tough situations.

Player Games Started ERA Quality Starts
Justin Grimm 17 6.37 6
Nick Tepesch 17 4.84 4
Matt Garza 13 4.38 4
Josh Lindblom 5 5.46 1
Travis Blackley 3 4.70 1
Ross Wolf 3 4.15 1

To put that in perspective, he has a quality start percentage of 64 percent. That is the same percentage that Darvish has since 2012. The team always has a shot at winning when he takes the bump and is 40-24 since 2011 when Harrison starts.

He needs to take this spring to get himself back into the swing of things. In an interview with Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News, he said he can’t let Holland’s injury speed up his return to the mound. Doing so could force him back to the disabled list, and that is something this team cannot afford.

For the Rangers to reclaim the crown in the West, it will be key for Harrison to stay healthy and get back to the form he had in 2012.

All stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com

You can follow Trey on Twitter @treydwarren

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com


Texas Rangers: Top 10 Prospects Heading into Spring Training

The Texas Rangers boast one of the better farm systems in all of baseball.

Now it isn’t what it was a year or two ago, but is still ranked No. 13 overall by ESPN’s Keith Law (subscription required). The main reason for the drop is the collective age of talent. Many of the prospects still are a few years away from being ready for the big leagues.

But there still is a great deal of talent throughout the organization. Two of the players on this list also are in Law’s Top 100 Prospects list (subscription required).

Here are the top 10 Rangers prospects heading into spring training. 

Who do you think belongs on the list?

All stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted/linked.

Here is the link to Baseball America’s Best Tools page that will be used throughout the slideshow.

You can follow Trey on Twitter @treydwarren

Begin Slideshow


Texas Rangers: What Twitter Is Saying as Spring Training Approaches

Spring training is just a couple of weeks away, and the Texas Rangers have two guys who are creating a lot of buzz.

Ironically, one player just won a Super Bowl, and the other pitched against the club last year.

Per MLB.com, Tommy Hanson and the Rangers agreed to a deal worth $2 million on Monday. He will be at spring training and has a good chance of making the starting rotation. He pitched for the Angels last season, starting 13 games and posting a 5.42 ERA.

As for Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, there still isn’t a definitive answer. It isn’t as if he is going to trade rubber spikes for metal ones, but he has gotten support from Texas fans to show up. 

Jeff Wilson explained the QB has the support from his newest agent:

Then fans got the news they had been waiting for:

Although he is showing up, it doesn’t look like he will be taking the field or making any plate appearances:

The High-A affiliate of the Rangers doesn’t want to take no for an answer. The team is willing to donate to a charity of Wilson’s choice in exchange for nine innings:

It was originally reported that Tommy Hanson had signed a minor league deal with the club. CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman cleared it all up on Tuesday:

Some fans were not too pleased with the team’s newest acquisition:

The Rangers now have a legitimate starter to fill the void left by Derek Holland’s knee surgery. Hanson’s ERA has dipped every year since his rookie season in 2009. That could be the epicenter of the disgust shown by the Rangers faithful.

But he isn’t going to be expensive. He could end up being a steal this offseason.

Wilson won’t be donning a Rangers uniform during the 2014 regular season, but the club can still benefit from his presence in Surprise, Ariz. Not because he just won the Super Bowl but because he has leadership qualities. He is also going to provide plenty of traffic at any complex he shows up to in March.

It would be fun to see what Wilson could do after a few years off the diamond.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com


Texas Rangers Injury Report: Updates Heading into Spring Training

The Texas Rangers are just a few weeks away from opening up spring training in Surprise, Ariz.

Luckily for the club, most of its roster is filled with healthy players getting ready for the day-to-day grind. However, there are a few players who will not be joining the Rangers. There are some who will have a tougher time getting back into the groove because of injuries.

Derek Holland will obviously be one of those guys who won’t be in Surprise. He is recovering from knee surgery and won’t be available until around the All-Star break.

Here are injury updates on a couple of other players looking to make a comeback in 2014.

 

Matt Harrison

Matt Harrison made just two starts last season before it was cut short due to two back surgeries on a herniated disk.

The 28-year-old has been throwing for quite some time now. He is expected to be ready to go by the time spring training rolls around. The Dallas Morning News’ Gerry Fraley reported that he successfully completed a bullpen session on Jan. 21, throwing 35 pitches.

He will also look like a different guy when Texas fans see him in Surprise. Fraley says Harrison has dropped about 30 pounds during his rehab program.

Spring training should be very beneficial to Harrison’s comeback this season considering where he is now.

 

Colby Lewis

The club’s most successful playoff pitcher in history hasn’t pitched in a big league game since July 18, 2012.

Colby Lewis was signed to a minor league deal back on Nov. 23, which included an invite to spring training. He will be coming back from multiple surgeries on his elbow and hip.

With Holland out for the first few months, Lewis could be in line for a rotation spot. He has gone 32-29 since 2010 and is 4-1 in the postseason.

In an interview on KRLD-FM, Lewis said that his hip is great and it is the best he has felt in four or five years.

That is what Rangers fans are hoping for.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com


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