Rangers Option Joaquin Arias

So, as it turns out, maybe the Rangers did know what they had in Joaquin Arias and didn’t like it very much. This afternoon he was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City and the Rangers purchased the contract of INF Esteban German. To make room for German, RHP John Bannister was designated for assignment.

Do You Know This Man? Joaquin Arias Remains Rangers Mystery Nearly Six Years After Acquisition

OAKLAND, Calif. – Of the 25 players on the Rangers active roster Tuesday, INF Joaquin Arias ranked sixth in terms of length of service to the organization.

But is there a player on this team about whom the Rangers know less?

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Rangers Roster Roulette: Madrigal For Moscoso

Pretty much says it all, doesn’t it?

To fortify their beleaguered bullpen, the Rangers have optioned RHP Guillermo Moscoso, who pitched the last two nights, to Triple-A Oklahoma City and recalled RHP Warner Madrigal. It’s the third consecutive day the Rangers have made a pitching move.

Rangers Option Doug Mathis, Recall Joaquin Arias

With 2B Ian Kinsler’s hamstring an issue, the Rangers optioned RHP Doug Mathis, who started yesterday and would probably not be available until Sunday anyway, and recalled INF Joaquin Arias from Triple-A Oklahoma City.

Jon Daniels Update On “El Duque”

ARLINGTON - On the porch at Pappasito’s in Arlington, Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said this evening that he expects veteran pitcher Orlando Hernandez to take advantage of Monday’s opt-out date in his minor league contract since the Rangers don’t intent to add him to the major league roster by then. Daniels said Hernandez wouldn’t be the first relief option coming from Triple-A Oklahoma, that Hernandez is behind reliever-in-training Neftali Feliz.

Hernandez has worked 11 innings in eight relief appearances, allowing three earned runs on four hits with 12 strikeouts and four walks. Feliz was pitched six times since being moved to the bullpen: 8.2 innings, 1 earned run on four hits, 9 K’s and 1 walk.

Manager Ron Washington said starter Matt Harrison (placed on the 15-day disabled list on June 28 with bicep tendinitis) threw about 70 pitches of live BP today and is scheduled to throw again on Friday.

Borbon In Arlington

Center Fielder Julio Borbon has been summoned to Arlington, though no official announcement has been made as to his activiation on the 25- man roster. He is already on the 40-man roster.

Texas Rangers To Place Matt Harrison on DL; Recall Tommy Hunter

ARLINGTON – The Rangers will place LHP Matt Harrison on the DL for the second time this season Sunday and will recall Tommy Hunter to replace him in the starting rotation on Sunday. It’s uncertain whether Hunter would get more than one start since the Rangers have an off day on Thursday and could juggle the rotation leading up to the All-Star break.

Harrison, who spent three weeks on the DL with shoulder soreness earlier this month, is returning with soreness in the shoulder/biceps area. He has struggled in two starts since returning from the first stint on the DL. Most recently, he allowed Arizona, which ranks 15th of 16 teams in the NL in batting average, seven hits, four walks and seven runs in 3.2 innings on Tuesday.

Hunter made one emergency start for the Rangers on May 29, lasting 5.1 innings against Oakland and allowing three runs on seven hits. It will be his fifth major league start. He is still seeking his first big league win, though the Rangers did end up winning the Oakland game.

Moving Harrison to the DL will make the fifth DL assignment for a member of the Rangers’ Opening Day rotation: Two for Harrison and one each for Kris Benson, Brandon McCarthy and Vicente Padilla.

Rangers Reliever Eddie Guardado: “I’ve Been Here Before”

ARLINGTON - Once again Eddie Guardado finds himself on the bubble. He is a struggling 38-year-old reliever, with subpar velocity and a shoulder held together by sheer will.

On Wednesday, he surrendered a game-tying eighth-inning homer to Hunter Pence on a hanging split-finger fastball. It was the fourth straight outing in which he’s allowed a run. He gave up a homer to Toronto’s Aaron Hill at the start of the homestand. He lost a 1-0 lead against Los Angeles four days later and the day after that, he let a one-run deficit become three.

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El Duque: Right-hander Orlando Hernandez Signs Minor League Contract With Rangers

Last update: 4:58 p.m.

The Rangers have signed RHP Orlando “El Duque” Hernandez to a minor league contract and he will join Triple-A Oklahoma City immediately. Hernandez has not pitched in the majors since 2007 and has been recovering from foot surgery.

Hernandez, the 1999 ALCS MVP, was 9-5 for the New York Mets in 2007 before undergoing surgery at the end of that season. Hernandez could become insurance for the big league starting rotation once he’s up to speed. He has a career record of 90-65 with a 4.13 ERA. Hernandez is officially listed as 39 years old, according to major league baseball, but a divorce decree granted him in Cuba years ago lists his birthdate as Oct. 11, 1965. That would make him 43.

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Doing The Pitching Shuffle: Texas Rangers Add Jason Grilli, Demote Kris Benson

ARLINGTON – The Rangers have once again installed a revolving door to the clubhouse. It was spinning on Tuesday.

Vagabond RHP Jason Grilli has been acquired as extra help for the bullpen. RHP Kris Benson was outrighted to Triple-A Oklahoma City after clearing outright waivers. And he was actually kind of relieved about it. By going to the minors, Benson will get a chance to start once again – that is if he pitches at all.

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Matt Harrison’s Return Could Push Derek Holland To Bullpen And Kris Benson Out Of Rangers Plans

BOSTON - The Kris Benson Experiment hasn’t worked out as the Rangers or the starter-turned-reliever hoped.

It may soon come time to decide whether to forge ahead or end the project altogether.

If Matt Harrison returns to the rotation this week after a sharp, but short rehab outing, the Rangers could have some shuffling to do in their bullpen. Derek Holland would likely move back to the bullpen, manager Ron Washington indicated. That would create a logjam among the long relievers.

Benson, meanwhile, acknowledged Sunday that he still feels weird in his new role, that he’d liked to return to a starting rotation and that, yeah, he’s thought about asking for a release so he could try and catch on as a starter elsewhere.

For now, though, Benson’s sole goal is to improve as a relief pitcher. It has been no easy transition for the former overall No. 1 pick in the draft, who had been exclusively a starter until May.

“I’m kind of learning on the job,” said Benson, who has a 7.94 ERA in six relief outings (it is 8.46 overall). “I haven’t had a spring training to make the transition. I’m more comfortable than I was when I took the mound the first time, but it still feels a little weird.”

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Rangers To Make Roster Moves – If There Is A Game Tonight

If we play tonight – and the forecast is sketchy – the Rangers will make some roster moves. They will option RHP Warner Madrigal to Triple-A Oklahoma City, purchase the contract of RHP Doug Mathis and move RHP Willie Eyre to the 60-day DL.

Rangers Have No Official Moves Yet, But Plenty Of Movement

OF Brandon Boggs is in town and not just because he wanted to catch a show on Broadway. He’s here as insurance in case Josh Hamilton is placed on the DL. Hamilton will not be here because he couldn’t get in to see sports hernia specialist Dr. John Preskitt until 2 p.m. CDT. Boy, there must be a real epidemic of sports hernias out there. If the Rangers get word that Hamilton is a no-go, then Boggs could be activated.

Meanwhile, Vicente Padilla is also here and Guillermo Moscoso is not. The Rangers will officially activate Padilla and send Moscoso to Triple-A Oklahoma City.

We will be back with more later.

Depot Double Dip: Rangers Doubleheader Live Game Blog, News And Notes

We’re pulling into the depot a little late, but we’ve got the next seven or so hours together, so let’s just have some fun.

4:35: The Rangers struck out twice in the first inning with CF Josh Hamilton chasing a slider for the second out of the inning and Marlon Byrd also chasing a slider. It simply served to further illustrate a stunning issue within the Rangers lineup. Hitting instructor Rudy Jaramillo and preached pitch recognition and trusting mechanics, but right now the entire Rangers lineup is struggling to make contact. The team entered the day leading baseball in percentage of swings that missed (34.2). No other AL team was above 30 percent. Just take a look at the chart to the left. Four of the five highest swing-and-miss percentages in the AL belong to Rangers.

5:23: Was thinking earlier today that before the Rangers consider sitting 1B Chris Davis or demoting him, that maybe they ought to try sliding him down a spot in the lineup. Though Jarrod Saltalamacchia’s at-bats haven’t exactly been works of art, he is hitting 269 with runners in scoring position. Salty, who has struck out twice in two at-bats today (as has Davis), entered the game hitless in his last 10 at-bats with runners in scoring position. Saltalamacchia had two hits in his last six at-bats those situations.

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Tommy Hunter To Start For Texas Rangers Friday

Official word is he will start Game 1 of the doubleheader against Oakland. I expect Doug Mathis to be somewhere in the 817 or 972 area code as insurance. If the Rangers burn a long reliever in that first game, Hunter and/or the reliever could be sent out and Mathis added to the roster.