Rangers Notes: Ron Washington Wants To Put Nelly On Cruz Control At Home Run Derby

SEATTLE – It appears Nelson Cruz is going to participate in the All-Star Game Home Run Derby Monday in St. Louis. Manager has only request: Please bring your swing back in tact.

Cruz, who leads the Rangers with 21 homers is on the tentative AL list for the derby, which, in recent years, has been a curse for Rangers power hitters. Last year, Washington watched Josh Hamilton hit 28 home runs and wow the crowd at Yankee Stadium, then return to the Rangers with his power significantly diminished.

Hamilton hit 21 homers and had a .552 slugging percentage in the first half of the season. In the second, he managed only 11 homers and his slugging percentage fell below .500 to .498.

“You always worry about [swing changes caused by the Home Run Derby],” Washington said. “When you go up there and try to hit home runs, it’s a lot more work than people think. If he gets a lead, I just hope he will sit on it. Last year, Josh could have done that and still made the finals, but kept going. I wanted to reach into the TV and grab him. It’s nice for the fans, but I hope those guys remember they’ve got to go back to their teams afterwards.”

The Rangers have had other players go to the Home Run Derby and have more dramatic drop-offs. In 2004, Hank Blalock hit 23 homers and had a .572 slugging percentage in the first half, but after the Derby, he hit nine homers and had a .406 slugging percentage. In 2005, Mark Teixeira, who ended up with a higher slugging percentage in the second half (.582) than in the first (.568) still came back sluggishly from the contest. He hit just .205 with three homers and a .342 slugging percentage in the first two weeks after the All-Star game.

One thing Washington isn’t worried about, though, is Cruz’s ability to compete in the event.

“They are going to be shocked by what this kid can do,” Washington said. “In batting practice, he just makes everybody shake their head.”

Bonus time: Rangers officials have confirmed that agreed to bonuses worth at least $1.5 million with each of their top two Latin American free agents. As first reported by ESPN’s Peter Gammons, SS Jurickson Profar of Curacao will receive $1.55 million and SS Luis Sardinas receieved $1.5 million. The Rangers had never before paid as much as $1 mllion for a Latin American teenager.

Immigration update: RHP Miguel De Los Santos, who turned 21 on Friday, is dominating the Dominican Summer League this season with 46 strikeouts in 19.2 innings, but he should be pitching in the United States.

De Los Santos is one of a handful of Rangers prospects – and a number of others across baseball – who were caught up in yet another immigration mess. The players all had their background ID checks done by MLB investigators, who have since been fired for improper conduct. As a result, all those players had their approved investigations revoked and must wait for new investigations. De Los Santos spent last year in the Arizona Rookie League and likely would be at Class A Hickory this season if he was cleared to enter the United States.

The Rangers don’t anticipate the same kind of boondoggle that has prohibited prospect RHPs Omar Beltre and Alexi Ogando from entering the United States since the start of 2005. The Rangers have already had a couple of players cleared by new investigations. Meanwhile, the club still hasn’t given up on the chances of gettign Beltre and Ogando U.S. Work Visas. Both continue to work out with the DSL team. The Rangers have another team of immigration attorneys trying to win the duo entry into the U.S.

Briefly: Manager Ron Washington said its likely that RHP Vicente Padilla will start the first game of the second half against Minnesota. It means RHP Kevin Millwood, who is pitching tonight, will get six days of rest before his next start. … LHP Matt Harrison flew up from Arizona, where he is rehabbing his sore shoulder, to throw off a mound Saturday. Harrison said the bullpen session went well and that he will throw again on Monday in Arizona, then throw live batting practice on Thursday. If that goes well, he could start a rehab assignment. Don’t expect it to be brief, however. The Rangers are going to want Harrison to work his way back to throwing at least 100 pitches in a game before being activated. Doesn’t look like he would be ready to go until August some time. … Left-handed hitting OF David Murphy did not start against LHP Jarrod Washburn on Saturday, not due to a sore right ring finger. He is expected to sit out Sunday as well.