Texas Rangers Notes: Nelson Cruz Gets Third Day Off In Five Games; Is Mathis Earning More Trust?

ARLINGTON - Rangers Manager Ron Washington insists he hasn’t benched Nelson Cruz, even though he’s holding him out of the lineup for the second consecutive game and the third time in the last five games.

“I just think a couple of days off will do him some good,” Washington said. “When we came back late from that long road trip, he looked a little fatigued. I was playing him every day for weeks at a time. He’s trying hard out there and I don’t want him to try too hard.”

Cruz is hitting just .173 in June, which ranks 115th among the 120 AL batting qualifiers. Over the last 20 days, it’s just .138. He snapped an 0-for-18 slump during the series at Arizona.

But the time off isn’t the only step Washington has taken. He’s also pulled Cruz out of the cleanup spot. In the two starts he’s had in the last five games, he’s hit fifth once (under NL rules) and sixth once (under AL rules).

Cruz said his struggles in June were just part of baseball, but had not talked with Washington about the lineup.

“He’s the manager, it’s his job to put the lineup together, to put the team out there that can do the best,” Cruz said. “It doesn’t matter how much work I do, I’ve still got to take it to the field.”

Hamilton rehab schedule: As noted in The Depot, OF Josh Hamilton will begin a rehab assignment with Double-A Frisco on Monday, then will take a day off from competition (he’ll work out with the Rangers) because Frisco is in its All-Star break. If all goes well, he’ll go to Oklahoma City on Wednesday and play three or four games. It’s possible he could be back before the homestand ends next Sunday.

Mathis rebounding: Since a rotten start against Toronto in which he allowed 10 baserunners (seven hits, three walks) and five runs, RHP Doug Mathis has essentially been relegated to mop-up duty, but he could find his way into tighter games shortly.

Mathis has pitched four times, totaling 7.1 innings, in the last two weeks. He has held hitters to a .160 average in that span. The only issue is that he’s been doing it primarily in blowouts. In his three appearances this week, he entered the game with the Rangers down by six runs twice and up by 10 runs once.

“After my start and the first relief outing (in which he allowed two walks in a scoreless inning), I wouldn’t have trusted me either,” said Mathis, who hasn’t allowed a walk in his last three outings. The last few times, I’ve worked on throwing more strikes.”

Said Washington: “He’s getting the ball down to the lower part of the zone. He’s got pitchability and a very good sinker. He’s been staying within himself.”

Washington said he’s got two long relievers in RHP Jason Jennings and Mathis. He prefers to use Jennings if the team has the lead and Mathis when the team is behind. On Tuesday in Arizona, however, Washington went to Jennings with the club trailing 6-2 in the fourth inning. Jennings allowed an inherited runner to score. Mathis, who entered the game after the score had climbed to 8-2, pitched a scoreless inning.

Briefly: C Taylor Teagarden said he was feeling better a day after dealing with the stomach flu. He was, however, out of the lineup again Sunday. He should catch RHP Vicente Padilla on Monday. … Asked if he considers RHP Jason Jennings a potential addition to the starting rotation, manager Ron Washington said the idea has never crossed his mind. … RHP Kris Benson, on the DL at Triple-A Oklahoma City, threw a 60-pitch bullpen session this weekend and could soon return to the RedHawks rotation.