MINNEAPOLIS (AP) Joe Nathan signed his contract with the Texas Rangers way back in November. He reported to spring training with them in February and started the regular season as the closer for the two-time defending American League champions.

The transition from Twins leader to Rangers newcomer wasn’t complete until he arrived in the Twin Cities on Thursday night and checked into a hotel room instead of driving to his home in the Minneapolis suburbs.

”This is when it really hits you,” Nathan said from his locker in the visiting clubhouse at Target Field. ”This was such a huge part of my life, this place. It kind of becomes a reality that it’s over here.”

Nathan became a star here. He set records here. He started a family here. He loved it here, and even though he has moved on to a much better team with much higher expectations that gives the 37-year-old a more realistic shot at winning his first World Series, it’s clear he still misses Minnesota.

”When we landed, I definitely had the feeling that I missed this place,” he said. ”I miss being here, miss the guys, miss the fans. But I’m excited about being with this club, excited about being with the Rangers. I look forward to being here for the next three days. I look forward to being around these fans.”

After throwing five times in six days, including a warmup, before the day off on Thursday, Nathan was given one more day of rest in the Rangers’ 4-1 win over the Twins on Friday night.

Nathan was an unheralded reliever with the San Francisco Giants when he was thrown into the trade package that was sent to Minnesota for catcher A.J. Pierzynski in 2003. The deal also netted the Twins Francisco Liriano and Boof Bonser, two starters who projected as much better prospects than that lanky Nathan.

The former college shortstop who didn’t start pitching until he was in the minor leagues turned out to be the real gem in that lopsided transaction. The Twins converted Nathan into a closer, and it didn’t take long for him to turn into one of the most dominant stoppers in the game. He saved 44 games in his first season in Minnesota, made four All-Star teams and set the franchise record with 260 saves in his seven seasons.

He emerged as a pillar in the clubhouse, and his fidgety demeanor and trademark lip-flapping exhale of a deep breath before big pitches on the mound became synonymous with the team’s scrappy success through the last decade.

”He did it for us a long time, took the ball and gave us everything he had,” Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. ”Great clubhouse guy, great presence in the community. Everything we like to see out of a baseball player, handled himself very well. Plus, he was pretty good when he got the ball in the ninth, too.”

Nathan saved a career-high 47 games in 2009. But his career took a turn the following spring when he tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow and missed the 2010 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery. He returned in 2011, but struggled in the early going and needed to be sent down for another rehab stint before reasserting himself as the team’s closer in the final three months of the season.

He went 11 for 12 in save situations after returning from his rehab assignment, restoring the faith of executives across the league that the 36-year-old still had something left in the tank.

That’s what the Rangers were banking on when they signed him to a two-year, $14.5 million contract in the offseason. They planned to convert Neftali Feliz into a starter and needed a veteran presence on the back end of the bullpen to solidify a group that has won the AL pennant the last two seasons before flaming out in the World Series.

It’s been a bit of a shaky start for Nathan in Texas. He has two saves, but is 0-2 with a 9.00 ERA in four appearances. He gave up three runs in the ninth inning against Seattle on Wednesday and Michael Adams closed out their victory on Thursday. But Rangers manager Ron Washington said he is not concerned with the early struggles.

”We knew he wasn’t going to be perfect,” Washington said with a shrug.

No matter how long he stays with the Rangers, Nathan will always be keeping an eye on the Twins. Before the Twins moved out of the Metrodome, Nathan took some dirt from the mound and put it in a baggie as a keepsake. He did the same thing when Target Field opened. The dirt still has a special place at his home.

”I’m going to keep that,” Nathan said. ”That’s mine. It’s going to be mine forever.”

—

Follow Jon Krawczynski on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/APkrawczynski.

I wasn’t sold when the Texas Rangers promoted Neftali Feliz to the starting lineup and replaced him at closer with Joe Nathan. For one thing, I thought Feliz was a great closer and Alexi Ogando was there to take over that fifth starter’s spot. Plus, Nathan was not the same pitcher he was before his Tommy John Surgery.

I have compared this to when Texas went out and brought in Eric Gagne, a once great closer that was past his prime when he showed up in Texas.

My worst fears have been realized. Texas is 5-2 and every starting pitcher has a perfect record. However, Nathan has two losses so far this year. Yes, new closer Joe Nathan is responsible for the Rangers only two losses so far this year.

Nathan started off the year strong, picking up a save in the Opening Day contest with the Chicago White Sox. In Derek Holland’s start in the Rangers’ second game of the season, Nathan came in during the ninth in a non-save situation, asked to simply hold the tie. Alex Rios hit a home run off Nathan in the ninth and the Chicago White Sox beat the Texas Rangers, 4-3.

Texas won their next three games, with Nathan picking up one save in the three. Then, against the Seattle Mariners on April 11, Nathan came in for the save opportunity and gave up three runs to blow the Rangers 3-1 lead and took his second loss of the season.

Ron Washington said the Rangers have not lost confidence in Nathan and said that the closer would be fine. Washington’s actions say otherwise. On April 12, Texas went into the ninth against Seattle with a 5-2 lead. Texas sent in Mike Adams for the save opportunity. Adams gave up one run but then held on for the save. Washington explained that it was because Nathan already pitched back-to-back games and was not available.

However, the next night, against Nathan’s old teammates with the Minnesota Twins, another save opportunity came up. With Texas up 4-1 heading into the ninth, it was long reliever Alexi Ogando that Washington sent out to pitch the save opportunity. Ogando was perfect and Texas increased to 5-2 on the season.

I’m sure there was a reason Nathan was not sent out for the save against Minnesota but there is an inkling of suspicion that Texas might be losing their confidence in him. I know I have.

Author Shawn S. Lealos has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma (2000) and has been a Texas Rangers fan his entire life, watching the Rangers’ Triple-A affiliate play for over 30 years. While Texas has moved their Triple-A team, Shawn still remains a loyal Rangers fan and awaits the year they finally win the big one.

Source: MLB.COM

Other articles by Shawn S. Lealos:

A lot of people’s concerns when paying attention to spring training games are overblown. When Texas Rangers’ pitchers throw a high ERA in spring, it means absolutely nothing as far as the MLB season is concerned. The Rangers’ record is even less of a concern because they are not playing their stars for full games and their pitchers barely throw more than a few innings each.

However, there is one thing that Texas Rangers’ fans should be very concerned about right now. Neftali Feliz is suffering from shoulder stiffness and left his third start of the spring because of it.

Go back to spring of 2011. The Rangers were testing out Feliz as a starter but he began to suffer from shoulder stiffness. Finally, they moved him back into his closers role, ending the experiment. Feliz started the season as the closer but began to struggle, having arm problems for the first couple of months and landing on the DL. He picked up and finished the end of the year fine.

Feliz actually made the comment in an interview at the time that he never wanted to start again, blaming his shoulder problems on the extra innings pitched in spring as a starter. He said that he wanted to remain a closer for his entire career.

That was not Feliz’s choice and the Rangers want him to be a starter. They moved him into the starting lineup this year and brought in Joe Nathan, a pitcher who used to be great, to be their new closer. It reminds me of when the Rangers brought in Eric Gagne, a formerly great closer, and watched him play very few innings with them while battling injuries. Hopefully, they have better luck with Nathan.

But Feliz might be in trouble. He only lasted three of his scheduled four innings in his third start of the spring. He was pitching a great game, giving up no runs on two hits and a walk. He struck out two. He looked good, but at the 54 pitch mark, he suffered the stiffness. If he is already suffering discomfort after three starts, I don’t feel comfortable heading into the MLB season.

Luckily, Texas has Alexi Ogando ready in case they need a starter but this might mean trouble for Feliz and his spot with the Rangers if they don’t figure out what is wrong with his shoulder.

Author Shawn S. Lealos has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma (2000) and has been a Texas Rangers fan his entire life, watching the Rangers’ Triple-A affiliate play for over 30 years. While Texas has moved their Triple-A team, Shawn still remains a loyal Rangers fan and awaits the year they finally win the big one.

Source: MLB.COM

Other articles by Shawn S. Lealos:

The Texas Rangers are not having the kind of spring training that I envisioned. Record-wise, the results are dismal at best. Halfway through the Cactus League schedule and there is plenty of room to worry.

Five things that Rangers fans don’t need to worry about are listed below.

Previously, I listed the five things Ranger fans should worry about, and they are still relevant. However, if you put them on two sides of hanging scales, the good would far outweigh the bad. The Rangers are in good shape for the upcoming season. These five things are partly the reason:

1. Derrick Holland

Holland is pitching this spring like he left off in Game 4 of the World Series–like an All-Star. Tuesday, March 21, Holland signed a new contract, keeping him a Ranger through 2018 and possibly for his entire career. Holland was worth the $28.5 million the Rangers gave him, and by year three, the Rangers will have realized a real bargain with this contract.

2. Matt Harrison

Harrison had a good year last year, and this spring he is picking up where he left off. Harrison and Holland give the Rangers a nice one-two left-handed punch going into the future. Harrison may be listed as the number 4 starter for the Rangers, but that is a very solid number 4. Repeating his 14-9 record from a year ago is all any Rangers fan can ask from Harrison.

3. Michael Young

Young was supposed to be getting old before last season. That was all you heard, how at his age his body could not stand the grind of a full season. Someone forgot to tell Young. He went out and almost won the American League MVP Award. There were those who thought he should have. All Young did last year was lead the league in hits with 213, finish 3rd in average at .338, and 5th in RBIs with 106.

4. Elvis Andrus

Andrus will be anchoring the Rangers’ infield for many years to come. At 24, Andrus has three full years in the majors. Last year, his games played, runs scored, hits, and batting average were all career-bests. Andrus just keeps getting better at the plate, and he has always wowed us with his glove.

5. The Frisco Roughriders

The Rangers’ AA farm team is just an hour away from Arlington, at the most. Manager Steve Bueschele was a Rangers fan favorite when he played third base in Arlington. Each of the last two years Bueschele has taken the Roughriders to the playoffs. The young players the Rangers assign to Frisco are learning to win before coming to the big leagues. Winning is an attitude. I remember the bad Rangers teams of the past; the young players on those teams looked lost. These young players the Rangers are calling up look and act like winners, because they already know how to win.

Yes, the Rangers have some things to worry about–all teams do. The Rangers do not have to worry about Young, Holland, Harrison, or Andrus, or Bueschele and his Roughriders; they are all winners, and they have shown it for two years now.

Sources:

mlb.com

texasrangers.com

J. Brackston has been an avid Texas Rangers fan since they moved to Texas from Washington D.C… He has rooted for the good teams and bad teams, and watched 100′s of games at the old Arlington Stadium and The Ballpark in Arlington.

The Texas Rangers finally made the move I have been waiting on more than any other. The Rangers came to an agreement on a five-year extension with Derek Holland that could keep the pitcher in Texas until 2018.

Holland’s extension is a five year deal worth $28 million and the two sides signed the deal on Tuesday, March 20, 2012. The deal runs through 2016 with option years in 2017 and 2018.

After the 2011 World Series, I wanted more than anything to get Holland signed to a new deal. I didn’t care if they got rid of C.J. Wilson because I believe that Derek Holland is the future ace of the team. I hear a lot about how no one feels there is a great pitcher on this year’s team but I disagree.

When Yu Darvish works out his kinks this spring and gets used to the American differences in the game, he should be a great pitcher. While that is me making an educated guess, I have no doubt at all that Holland will be something special for years to come.

Holland came up to the Rangers’ major league squad in 2009 and finished the season 8-13 with a 6.12 ERA. In 2010, as the Rangers were on the way to their way to their first ever World Series appearance, Holland finished with a 3-4 record with a 4.08 ERA. In the postseason, he struggled, going 1-0 with a 4.76 ERA in four starts.

However, in 2011 he had it all figured out. He credited his strength coaches in helping him build the strength to make it through the entire season healthy but credit also has to go to Mike Maddux, who helped turn him into a star.

Holland finished the 2011 regular season with a 16-5 record and a 3.95 ERA. He finished the postseason with a 2-0 record in four starts with a 3.38 ERA. In the World Series, he started the fourth game and finished with a shutout, He also came in for relief two games later and gave up his only run of the series. He finished with a 0.87 ERA.

Holland is the first player since spring started that Texas has worked out a long term agreement with, and in my opinion, is the most important.

Author Shawn S. Lealos has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma (2000) and has been a Texas Rangers fan his entire life, watching the Rangers’ Triple-A affiliate play for over 30 years. While Texas has moved their Triple-A team, Shawn still remains a loyal Rangers fan and awaits the year they finally win the big one.

Source: MLB.COM

Other articles by Shawn S. Lealos:

The Texas Rangers took their first major step toward locking up their core players as they signed left-hander Derek Holland to a five-year deal.

The contract, which runs through the 2016 season, also includes club options in 2017 and 2018.

The Rangers began discussing a deal with Holland in December but the talks stalled.

Holland is coming off a breakout season in 2011. In his first full year in the Texas rotation, Holland went 16-5 with a 3.95 ERA. Holland, 25, dazzled the country in his last start in Game 4 of the World Series. He pitched 8 1/3 shutout innings against St. Louis.

The Rangers began discussing a deal with Holland in December but the talks stalled.

Holland’s regular season also included four shutouts, the most by a Texas pitcher since 1981. Holland, who made the Opening Day roster for the first time last year, was drafted in the 25th round by the Rangers in the 2006 draft.

Texas general manager Jon Daniels said going into the offseason that locking up core players would be an offseason priority. Holland marks the first player the Rangers have signed this offseason that includes free-agent years.

Yu Darvish had an interesting game for the Texas Rangers on March 19, as he pitched four innings against the Milwaukee Brewers. He finished the game with four strikeouts, three walks, one hit, a wild pitch and a hit batter but still escaped the game with only one run given up.

In the first and third innings, Darvish knocked the Brewers’ hitters down 1-2-3, including striking out Rickie Weeks twice in the game. However, in the second inning he walked a batter, hit a batter and then gave up his only hit that scored the only run against him on the day. In the fourth inning, he walked a batter, let him take second on a wild pitch and then gave up another walk but got out of the inning with a double play.

A lot of Rangers’ fans, including myself, are hoping Darvish turn into the next big ace for the team but he still has a lot of learning to do in the American baseball system. The Japanese baseball is larger than the American version, so this is something Darvish, as well as all Japanese pitchers arriving in America have to deal with. The playing field and strike zone in Japan is also different, so I don’t expect Darvish to start ripping off the strikeouts he was in Japan.

However, Darvish has done a lot so far to prove to me that he will be a star. He has gotten into trouble in his spring outings but worked his way out of them each time. He gives up hits and walks but doesn’t allow that many runs. That is huge, especially in a hitter’s park like the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.

Texas ended up losing the game, and distressingly, it was due to Joe Nathan, who entered the game in the sixth. After getting used to Neftali Feliz coming in and making short work of his opposition in the ninth for the last two years, Nathan is expected to step right in. After he blew Darvish’s win today, he has me worried.

Author Shawn S. Lealos has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma (2000) and has been a Texas Rangers fan his entire life, watching the Rangers’ Triple-A affiliate play for over 30 years. While Texas has moved their Triple-A team, Shawn still remains a loyal Rangers fan and awaits the year they finally win the big one.

Source: MLB.COM

Other articles by Shawn S. Lealos:

The Texas Rangers could be active traders as Opening Day approaches. Or not.

The Rangers have pitching to spare, both in the rotation (Scott Feldman) and bullpen (Koji Uehara, Mark Lowe). But rather than make a deal that would yield little return, they might prefer to keep their depth intact, major-league sources say.

The performances of two non-roster relievers in the final weeks of spring training could influence the Rangers’ thinking. If either right-hander Tanner Scheppers, 25, or Robert Ross, 22, looks ready, the team might be more motivated to make a move.

Scheppers threw two scoreless innings in a recent outing against the Los Angeles Dodgers, striking out Matt Kemp, but struggled Monday against the Milwaukee Brewers, failing to complete his inning. Ross has thrown four scoreless innings this spring, striking out six.

Still, the Rangers don’t need to force the issue.

Feldman could open in the bullpen and help in the rotation as warranted. Uehara, earning $4 million, is struggling this spring after struggling in the postseason. And Lowe, earning $1.7 million, also might have greater value at the July 31 non-waiver deadline.

Teams looking to add relievers generally are more willing to part with better prospects and take on greater financial commitments during the season, after they exhaust their internal options.

Whatever the Rangers decide, their pitching depth continues to make them popular with other clubs. The team even received calls on right-hander Colby Lewis during the offseason, but chose not to make a move, valuing Lewis’ stability.

— Ken Rosenthal

Rallying support — financial and otherwise — for the museum/educational facility is the non-profit Former Texas Rangers Foundation (FTRF), which recently settled into its offices at 103 Industrial Loop – Suite 700, where the public is invited to an open house reception tomorrow from 4-7 p.m.

The endeavor is about more than just creating a new destination point in Fredericksburg’s already rich visitor attraction industry, according to Joe B. Davis, FTRF president and a retired Texas Ranger.

It’s about using the entertaining history of the Texas Rangers to engage the younger generation and teach youths the Rangers’ five main character traits they should also strive to achieve: courage, determination, dedication, respect and integrity.

In fact, the Heritage Center, will feature five permanent galleries — each dedicated to one of those traits.

Changing the horizon of Fredericksburg’s eastern edge, the new center is destined for construction on land adjacent to the Fort Martin Scott Historic Site, thanks to a 99-year, low-cost lease incentive deal through the City of Fredericksburg.

The entrance to the site will front U.S. Highway 290 East and will take visitors to a parking lot to the rear of the structure.

For more on this story, read this week’s print and online editions of the Fredericksburg Standard-Radio Post. If you are a print subscriber, your full online subscription is free. All you need to do is call 830-997-2155 to get a password. If you are not a subscriber, call 997-2155 or click on the ‘Subscribe’ button on the left side of the home page and sign up today!

Alexi Ogando is going to be the anchor of the Texas Rangers‘ bullpen, and while I am sure he would like to be starting, I love having someone as good as him in the bullpen to help out when the starters get into trouble this year.

What is also impressive is that Texas has someone else they are bringing up in the system that looks a lot like what they created in Ogando. And, believe me, the Texas Rangers made Ogando into the star he is today.

When Ogando was starting out, he was an outfielder for the Oakland Athletics. However, the team that gained a lot of popularity in 2011 thanks to “Moneyball” introducing film fans to sabermetrics, failed to see what they had in the player. However, a scout for Texas looked at Ogando and realized he was not a very good outfielder but might be a great pitcher.

Six years later, Ogando was starting for the Texas Rangers as a pitcher and played in the All-Star game and a World Series. Now, heading into 2012, Ogando is an important piece of the Rangers‘ puzzle once again, but this time back in the bullpen. Along with Scott Feldman, Ogando will make sure to keep any trouble the Rangers get into in early innings to a minimum while also providing some starting muscle in case of injuries.

Now, in the Minor League system, Texas has a kid named Johan Yan. The youngster has been watching Ogando carefully for one reason. He came into the system as an infielder that Texas decided to turn into a pitcher. This was another great decision by a Rangers‘ staff that has great eyes for pitching talent.

Yan learned how to throw a 90 mph fastball, a slider and a split-fingered fastball and finished 2011 with a 5-3 record and a 1.52 ERA. He also had ten saves in Class A. When Texas called him up to Double-A, he pitched in 19 games, with a 0.34 ERA and two saves.

Could it be that Texas has found their next Ogando? Only time will tell, but if he comes close to what Ogando has accomplished, Texas could have found another winner.

Author Shawn S. Lealos has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma (2000) and has been a Texas Rangers fan his entire life, watching the Rangers’ Triple-A affiliate play for over 30 years. While Texas has moved their Triple-A team, Shawn still remains a loyal Rangers fan and awaits the year they finally win the big one.

Source: MLB.COM

Colby Lewis is the Texas Rangers’ opening day pitcher, an honor bestowed on the aces of most teams’ rotations. Of course, there are teams like the Philadelphia Phillies that have multiple aces and teams like the Los Angeles Angels that like to pretend they do, but the Rangers are a different breed.

Honestly, Texas has no ace pitcher on their staff. Lewis, the man given the opening day start, has been solid in postseason but his 2011 regular season was horrendous. He almost didn’t deserve to be in the postseason starting five in 2011. Now, heading into the 2012 season, there is Lewis and newcomer Yu Darvish, who some fans would love to see develop into an ace.

If Darvish becomes an ace for Texas, I think he is one of two players on the roster with that potential. In my eyes, Derek Holland is the best pitcher in the Rangers’ rotation and the man that should be starting on opening day for Texas.

He proved again on Saturday in Las Vegas why he is so great. Holland finished his outing against the Chicago Cubs with two strikeouts and only one hit in four innings pitched. This spring, he is 2-0 with a 2.00 ERA. In nine innings, he has given up seven hits, two runs and struck out seven batters.

After the game on Saturday, he mentioned that, in his earlier starts, he was playing with his pitches, working things out. However, in the Saturday start, he pitched like he would in the regular season and shut down the Cubs.

Holland proved to the world how great he was in 2011 when he came into Game 4 of the World Series and pitched the only gem of any starter on the Rangers’ team. He pitched 8 1/3 innings, gave up two hits and two walks, but allowed no runs in the game. It was an amazing performance by the 25-year old pitcher.

Holland threw four complete game shutouts in the regular season in 2011.

The Texas Rangers have their ace of the future on the staff and his name is Derek Holland. It is just about time they realized this.

Author Shawn S. Lealos has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma (2000) and has been a Texas Rangers fan his entire life, watching the Rangers’ Triple-A affiliate play for over 30 years. While Texas has moved their Triple-A team, Shawn still remains a loyal Rangers fan and awaits the year they finally win the big one.

Source: MLB.COM

Two-time All-Star Robin Ventura will return to the baseball diamond for the first time since he retired back in 2004 — this time as the newly appointed manager of the Chicago White Sox.

He will make his managerial debut on April 6, when the White Sox travel to Arlington, Texas for their season opener against the two-time AL defending champion Texas Rangers.

Fortunately for Ventura, he won’t have too see clips of his brawl-starting fight with Rangers president and CEO Nolan Ryan.

The Rangers announced Friday that they will no longer show highlights of the infamous fight, as had been custom before every game in 2011, according to ESPN.

“I just thought this offseason that we didn’t need to be showing that anymore,” said Chuck Morgan, Texas’ public address announcer and in-game presentation guru. “I watched how St. Louis treated Stan the Man during the playoffs and that’s how we should treat Nolan as the face of the franchise. We’ll celebrate his no-hitters and other moments.”

Morgan added that they might show the clip “on the day it happened as part of the 40th anniversary moments,” but that would be the only time this season.

The fight, which happened during a Rangers-Whites Sox game in 1993, began after the 46-year-old Ryan beamed Ventura in the back with a pitch. Ventura then charged the mound, inciting a bench-clearing brawl between the two teams.

Ryan, a Hall of Famer with seven career no-hitters, has been in the Rangers’ front office since February 2008 after spending the last five years of his career in Texas. Ventura, meanwhile, was named manager of the White Sox this offseason after Ozzie Guillen left to manage the Miami Marlins. 

“I also don’t think it’s right for us on our Opening Day to show a fight, and then that whole weekend we’re going to treat Robin Ventura with respect,” Morgan said. “He’s the manager of the White Sox. We don’t need to do anything like that.”

To relive one of baseball’s most legendary brawls, check out the video below.

Andrus has another big game in Rangers rout

Elvis Andrus, beefed up and feeling good, could hardly have a better start to his spring.

The Texas shortstop singled, doubled, scored twice and had a sacrifice fly in the Rangers’ 16-3 rout of the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday.

That makes him 5 for 5 in the last two games after going 3 for 3, including a triple, in the Rangers’ loss to Kansas City on Monday.

“I wish it counted for the season,” he said. “I’m looking forward to continuing to feel good out there, keep working on my offense, working on my defense.”

Andrus came to spring training having noticeably added strength to his upper body in the offseason.

“I’m feeling way better,” he said. “My legs are stronger, my whole body is stronger. My core is stronger. When you’re like that, you can see it out there.”

Although he’s just 23, Andrus is entering his fourth full season with the Rangers after coming to Texas from Atlanta as part of the trade that sent Mark Teixeira to the Braves in 2007.

Firmly in the No. 2 spot in the lineup, Andrus hit a career-best .279 last season. He has 33, 32 and 37 stolen bases in his three seasons in the majors.

Matt Harrison came to Texas in that deal, too, and the left-hander is the only Rangers pitcher who has been in the starting rotation each of the past three seasons.

He threw just 22 pitches in his spring training debut on Tuesday.

“I felt the ball was coming out good today,” said Harrison, who was 14-9 with a 3.39 ERA for the AL champions last season. “I threw all my pitches, threw them all for strikes. The only problem I was having really was being able to command the glove side, inside to righties away to lefties a little bit.”

The only hit he allowed, a double by Chris Young, came on what was intended to be an inside pitch, he said, but was over the middle of the plate.

Conor Jackson hit a solo home run and Nelson Cruz singled in two runs for the Rangers, who outhit the Diamondbacks 19-5. Leonys Martin and Yangervis Solarte also homered for Texas. David Winfree had a three-run shot for the Diamondbacks.

Arizona’s Joe Saunders gave up two runs on five hits, including Jackson’s homer, in two innings.

“We wanted to pitch better than we had but again it’s early,” Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson said. “These are the type of days that are tough to go through but you just move on.”

Arizona right-hander Evan Marshall took a line drive to the chest and left the game. Gibson said he expected Marshall to be sore for a few days but didn’t believe the injury was serious.

The pre-game buzz for the Rangers was about the pitching debut of Japanese start, Yu Darvish, scheduled for Wednesday against the San Diego Padres in Peoria.

“I’m not going to put a lot into what happens,” Texas manager Ron Washington said. “I just want him to go out there and get into a big league game and get his work done like everyone else is getting their work done and move forward to the next one.

“I have communicated to him that it is a progression and he understands that, but you can’t control how he’s going to feel when he gets on the mound for the first time.”