Gagne: Not injured, but will start season on DL

Rangers closer Eric Gagne will start the season on the disabled list. Gagne isn’t injured, but he needs more time to build up arm strength after throwing just three innings in Cactus League action. "He's feeling great," pitching coach Mark Connor said. "He just needs to pitch more innings." The Rangers are hoping Gagne can be activated on April 13. In the meantime, Akinori Otsuka, who saved 32 games for the Rangers last year, will serve as the team’s closer.
Source: MLB.com

Gagne: Roughed up against Padres, still Rangers closer

Eric Gagne was roughed up in Tuesday's game against the Padres, surrendering four earned runs in one inning of work. Rangers manager Ron Washington said he's confident Gagne will be ready to be his closer on Opening Day. "Yes, without a doubt," Washington said. "He's healthy. I've seen better stuff than he's shown today, but he's healthy. He's the closer. I'm not going to take the ball away from him." The one thing the Rangers do know is Gagne is unlikely to be ready to pitch back-to-back games once the regular season starts.
Source: MLB.com

Teixeira: "Knee just fine"

Testing out his strained right knee -- which caused him to miss over a week of time -- Mark Teixeira played all nine innings of Wednesday's loss to the Cubs and went 2-for-4 with a walk. Teixeira, who turns 27 on April 1, was pleased with how his knee held up. "It was a long game, but the knee was just fine," Teixeira said. Don't hesitate selecting the fifth-year slugger among the top 5 or 6 first basemen.
Source: MLB.com

Loe scratched due to neck and back spasms

The Rangers scratched pitcher Kameron Loe from Thursday's start against the Angels because of spasms in his neck and back. The big right-hander first felt pain while stretching during a workout Wednesday. Loe has had an impressive spring with three unearned runs and eight hits allowed over 13 2/3 innings, but he’ll jeopardize his chances of claiming the fifth spot in the starting rotation if he misses an extended period of time. The other candidates for the final spot are Bruce Chen (0.77 ERA) and Jamey Wright (4.63 ERA).
Source: MLB.com

Gagne: Rangers hope he will be ready for Opening Day

Appearing in his first A game in spring, Eric Gagne allowed a solo homer and struck out one in an inning of work on Tuesday. Despite the long ball, this was another positive step for the Rangers closer, who the team hopes will be ready in time for Opening Day. Even so, considering Gagne's shaky health record over the past two seasons, not to mention multiple surgical procedures, owners gambling on him are almost obliged to select teammate Akinori Otuska, last year's fireman, as a precaution.
Source: MLB.com

3 Pitchers Remain For Rangers No.5 Spot

The number of players in the race for the No. 5 starter job got smaller Sunday when the Texas Rangers said it's now a three-man competition among right-handers Jamey Wright and Kameron Loe, and left-hander Bruce Chen. The club optioned right-hander Josh Rupe and lefty John Koronka to Triple-A Oklahoma.
Source: Dallas Morning News


Kameron Loe

Millwood Having Solid Spring

There's no comparison between last year's spring training and this year's for Rangers right-hander Kevin Millwood. Millwood allowed one unearned run and two hits in four innings to help Texas beat the Seattle Mariners 4-1 Saturday. It was the first "A" game appearance of the spring for Millwood, after three "B" games in which he compiled a 2.84 ERA in eight innings against minor leaguers.

"I feel like I'm way ahead of where I was last year at this time," Millwood said. "I feel like my legs are a lot stronger, my arm's stronger, my pitches are further along than what they were last year at this time. I'm just closer to being ready to pitch in a big league game than I would have been this time last year."

Millwood threw around 50 pitches in the game, focusing much of the time on his changeup. He struck out both Adrian Beltre and Adam Jones in the first inning with that pitch. Millwood was replaced by Kameron Loe, who continued to make a strong push for the No. 5 spot in the Texas rotation. Loe allowed one hit in five shutout innings to get the save. He has not allowed a run in 13 2-3 innings this spring. Loe is battling Bruce Chen and Jamey Wright for the final starting spot.
Source: AP

Sosa Added To Rangers 40-Man Roster

Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said that Sammy Sosa, who came to camp with a Minor League contract, is being added to the 40-man roster. Sosa celebrated the news by blasting his third home run of the spring on Thursday. He’s certainly earned his spot on the roster by carrying a .464 average into the day, though it remains to be seen how well the 38-year-old will swing the bat once things crank up to full speed in the regular season.
Source: MLB.com

2007 Rangers Projected Lineup

2007 Texas Rangers

Batting Order

1. CF Kenny Lofton
2. LF Frank Catalanotto/ Brad Wilkerson
3. SS Michael Young
4. 1B Mark Teixeira
5. DH Sammy Sosa/ Frank Catalanotto
6. 3B Hank Blalock
7. 2B Ian Kinsler
8. RF Nelson Cruz
9. C Gerald Laird

Young led the AL last season with a .412 average with runners in scoring position. The Rangers want to drop him a spot to third in the order to take advantage of it. Sosa is the main question mark and whatever he produces will be a bonus. Big things are expected from Cruz, who has folks in camp raving about his power potential. Kinsler could emerge as one of the league's top 2Bs and may also see some time in the No. 2 spot when Catalanotto is out of the lineup.

Rotation

Kevin Millwood
Vicente Padilla
Brandon McCarthy
Robinson Tejeda

5th spot battle:
Kameron Loe
Edinson Volquez
John Koronka
John Rheinecker
Josh Rupe
Bruce Chen
Jamey Wright

Manager Ron Washington said the fourth spot is Tejeda's to lose, and we're not so certain he won't cough it up. Kameron Loe, Edinson Volquez, John Koronka, Josh Rupe, Bruce Chen, Jamey Wright, and John Rheinecker are all in the running for the fifth (and possibly the fourth) slot. Fun. Fantasy owners should only count on Millwood, Padilla and McCarthy until the rest of this mess shakes out.

Closer: Eric Gagne

Gagne has made only 16 appearances over the past two seasons due to arm and back issues. Early reports about his health are positive and the Rangers have already handed him the closer's role, but it's difficult not to have some reservations. Akinori Otsuka is currently slated to work the eighth inning, but we know he can handle the role if Gagne is not ready or if he simply doesn't have the same stuff that he did a few surgeries ago.

Kameron Loe: Early Edge On Rangers No. 5 Spot

John Koronka and Kameron Loe, who are among the group of pitchers battling for the No. 5 spot in the Rangers rotation, each threw three innings without allowing an earned run on Wednesday. The competition for the final spot has stiffened in recent days, but Loe probably has the early edge, as he’s allowed just four hits and one unearned run over five spring innings.
Source: MLB.com

Slammin' Sammy Trying To Comeback

Sammy Sosa smoked his second home run of the spring, a 425-foot blast to left, in Wednesday’s Spring Training matchup with the Diamondbacks. Slammin’ Sammy is now 5-for-12 with a .917 slugging percentage in Cactus League action. It’s still way too early to sing his comeback praises, but the veteran outfielder is certainly making his case for a spot on the Rangers' 25-man roster.
Source: MLB.com

Koronka Makes Case For Rotation Spot

John Koronka, the struggler in the first turn through the field for the fifth spot in the Rangers rotation, evened the derby up some with three efficient and scoreless innings in Wednesday's 9-8 win over Arizona.

Koronka threw only 31 pitches in his three innings. He needed to go to the bullpen and throw an additional 15 pitches to reach his quota for the day. It was quite a turnaround from five days earlier when he couldn't finish his two innings against Kansas City.

Through the first week of exhibitions, there has been little separation in the fight for the fifth spot. Since Koronka's poor first outing, six of the pitchers in the seven-man competition (John Rheinecker hasn't yet pitched in a game) have not allowed an earned run in 14 2/3 innings.

"They have to keep doing that," manager Ron Washington said. "If they all do that and we have to make a choice, well, we'll know that we can't get it wrong."

Edinson Volquez, John Rheinecker and Koronka are among the candidates for the Rangers No. 5 spot in the rotation.
Source: dallasnews.com

Brandon McCarthy: Rangers No.3 Starter Has Solid Debut

In his first appearance for the Rangers on Sunday, Brandon McCarthy looked plenty comfortable. Using pitches at four speeds that ranged from a 73 mph curve to a 93 mph fastball, McCarthy struck out four Kansas City hitters in two innings of the Rangers' 5-0 win. While McCarthy threw a handful of curves in the dirt, his day was otherwise perfect. He began the game with a four-pitch strikeout of David DeJesus, then caught Esteban German looking at a fastball on the outside corner. In the second, he struck out Reggie Sanders on a changeup and Jason LaRue on a fastball to finish his day. The fastball regularly hit 91 to 93 mph. His slider was in the low 80s, with a changeup at about 78 and a curve that fell to the lower 70s. The Rangers know they are asking a lot of McCarthy by having him step into the No. 3 spot in the rotation with only 12 starts and 150 innings of major league experience.
Source: DallasNews.com

Wilkerson To Start In Left For Rangers

If healthy, Brad Wilkerson will be the Rangers' starting left fielder, leaving Frank Catalanotto as the primary designated hitter and a potential platoon partner with Sammy Sosa. Rangers officials firmly believe Wilkerson is better than what he showed in 2006 before right shoulder surgery brought his season to an end. "When I saw him in Montreal and D.C., I always thought he was a solid player," manager Ron Washington said. "I saw him play awesome center fielder, work counts, slap the ball the other way, play the game right."
Source: MLB.com

Ian Kinsler Puts On Weight

Since the end of the 2006 season, Ian Kinsler has upped his weight 21 pounds, to 208, in hopes of increasing his endurance. After batting .320 with a .553 slugging percentage prior to the All-Star break as a rookie last season, Kinsler sported a .267 average and a .399 slugging mark in the second half. Only time will tell if the added weight will keep the 24-year-old second baseman from fading down the stretch in 2007.
Source: MLB.com

Gagne: Injury Risk Sleeper

Rangers RHP Eric Gagne will probably not throw in a game until the middle of March. Gagne, who is coming back from two surgeries, has thrown off a mound but is on a different throwing pace than the other pitchers. While everyone else in camp is throwing every other day, Gagne throws every third day. Gagne is also being more selective about how much pitchers' fielding practice he participates in. He is trying to keep his back healthy. He underwent back surgery last July. Gagne also had elbow surgery last April.

Since his dominating run for the Los Angeles Dodgers from 2002-04, when he converted 84 straight saves and won an NL Cy Young Award, Gagne has had three operations and pitched only 15 1-3 innings. The right-hander had as many appearances (two) as surgeries last year. "I want to keep feeling good every day. I don't want to take any step back. That's why I'm going so slow. I want to build my arm strength, get all the scar tissues out of my surgeries," Gagne said. "I'm just trying to get back to all my pitching muscles which I didn't use for two years." Gagne is well-worth taking in the middle rounds as an injury risk sleeper considering what he's been capable of in the past.
Source: CBS SportsLine.com

Young To Bat Third

Rangers manager Ron Washington said he’s planning on dropping Michael Young from second to third in the batting order this year.

This move boosts Young’s already lofty fantasy value, as he’ll see more at-bats with runners in scoring position and get the opportunity to surpass his career high of 103 RBIs in 2007.
Source: MLB.com

Blalock's Shoulder Feels Fine

Blalock reported to camp early and proclaimed that last year's shoulder problems are a non-issue following off-season surgery, the team's web site reports.

"I feel fine," Blalock said. "I played long toss the last two days and felt comfortable. We'll have to see once we start practice. As far as I'm concerned, it's a non-issue, but if I have to pace myself, I will because it's early." Many insiders are predicting a big rebound season from Blalock now that Buck Showalter is gone. Don't be afraid to go the extra buck on draft day.
Source: RotoWire.com

Sosa Arrives at Camp

Sammy Sosa arrived for spring training with the Texas Rangers on Friday, appearing in good shape and good spirits after a season away from the game.

In 2005, with the Orioles, he hit .221 with 14 home runs and 45 RBI in 102 games.

The 38-year-old slugger, who ranks fifth on baseball's home-run list, has a minor league deal with his original team for a chance to get back to the major leagues.

Like Mark McGwire, Sosa is suspected by some of having used steroids before they were banned by baseball after the 2002 season. Sosa said last month his comeback isn't about disproving the rumors that performance-enhancing drugs elevated him among the game's most feared power hitters.

If Sosa makes the team, Rangers rookie manager Ron Washington expects him to be primarily a designated hitter and bat in the middle of the lineup behind three-time All-Star shortstop Michael Young and switch-hitting slugger Mark Teixeira.
Source: AP