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Rangers Notes: Marlon Byrd Flies Free and Easy

SURPRISE, Ariz. - Marlon Byrd gave his surgically-repaired left knee its most strenuous test of the spring Tuesday, which is to say he gave it nary a thought while running from first to third on a lazy single in the Rangers 11-5 win over Cleveland.

It was the first time this spring Byrd has gone from first to third on a base hit, a sign his knee is no longer an issue.  That is a significant stride.

“I had been asking the doctor about it and he said that I’ll know when it’s good because I will just run without thinking about it,” Byrd said. “That’s what happened today. I saw the ball and just ran and never once thought about the knee. Now, having done that, it’s a sign to me that I can hard every time. That was the true test.”

Byrd was playing in exhibitions the first week of games, but hasn’t been able to run at full-speed. Last week, he estimated that he was at about 80-85 percent, but he’s made big strides lately. He has eight hits in his last 13 at-bats, a sign the knee is giving him no problems on swings. Then came Tuesday’s sprint around the bases.

“His knee is getting much better each time,” manager Ron Washington said. “He ran very well today and he’s swinging the bat much better.”
Byrd’s recovery may also spell the end of Andruw Jones’ bid to win a spot on the roster. The Rangers are facing a March 20 deadline to either place Jones on the 40-man roster or allow him to explore free agency. But lately Jones has been relegated to intrasquad and minor league games. While Byrd was the DH against Cleveland, Jones went 2-for-5 with a walk and a stolen base in a minor league game. He hasn’t appeared in an “A” game since Friday.

• On the blistering injury front, neither LHP C.J. Wilson nor RHP Luis Mendoza threw bullpen sessions that had been tentatively scheduled for them Tuesday morning. The Rangers said they were simply being extra cautious and might have them throw in another day or two.

While Mendoza appears headed for Triple-A anyway, the next issue is at what point might the blister threaten Wilson’s spot on the opening day roster? Wilson has pitched just 1.1 innings since March 1 (partly because he was knocked out of a game by a line drive).

General manager Jon Daniels said the club isn’t even close to thinking about that, but Nolan Ryan’s edict last fall was that pitchers would have full spring trainings or else. If Wilson returns to games at the start of next week, he would be able to get about another six innings of  ”A” game action in, which would leave him with 8.1 innings for the spring.

• Manager Ron Washington said the club will consider using eight relievers to start the season and not carry a fifth starter until needed. The Rangers will need the No. 5 starter on April 12 (the sixth game of the season), but only three times total in April. It might make sense to use RHP Scott Feldman in a swing role in April since he’s got the most experience in the bullpen. Washington acknowledged that as a possibility, but also said the Rangers don’t want to shuffle him back and forth between roles.

• DH-1B Hank Blalock started taking ground balls at third base, his original position, Tuesday. The Rangers will look at Blalock as their backup third baseman since it appears the team is not comfortable with either INF Omar Vizquel or Joaquin Arias making throws from the position. Blalock, however, left Sunday’s game early with a sore quadriceps and did not play Tuesday. He was originally scheduled to make his spring debut at third on Thursday, but it’s unclear if that has been pushed back.  Interestingly, scouts from the New York Yankees, who could be in the market for temporary replacement for injured 3B Alex Rodriguez, have been hanging around Surprise lately.

• A couple of quick statistical pitching notes: RHP Kevin Millwood leads the staff in innings pitched with 13. Millwood didn’t reach double-figures in “A” game innings in either of the last two springs. Also, RHP Scott Feldman is the only member of the rotation not to finish an inning he’s started. Feldman struggled in his first outing and left after 4.2 innings Tuesday.

• The Rangers began their day with a brick-and board-breaking demonstration from Radical Reality, a team of high-intensity motivational speakers. The group had also done demonstrations in Oakland when both Washington and C Adam Melhuse were there. The demonstration included the breaking of cement blocks on Washington’s chest by a sledge-hammer wielding Radical Reality team member. The manager escaped unscathed.

“It’s all about mind over matter,” Washngton said. “If you believe it, you can achieve it.”

• Minor league OF Nathan Haynes, who had brief stints in the majors with the Los Angeles Angels and Tampa Bay, retired. Haynes, 30, was unlikely to crack an Oklahoma outfield that should consist of Brandon Boggs, Julio Borbon and perhaps Ben Harrison.