Rangers eyeing full stadium for season opener

The Rangers are on track to become the first team in Major League Baseball or any major U.S.-based sports league to have a fullcapacity crowd since the coronavirus pandemic started altering the sports landscape a year ago.

On the same day an order by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott took effect allowing businesses in the state to operate at 100% capacity, Rangers CEO Neil Leibman said Wednesday that the team hopes to be at that for the April 5 opener against the Blue Jays.

“We’re very confident we won’t be a superspreader event,” said Leibman, who is also the team’s president of business operations.

The pandemic could still alter the team’s intent to host a capacity crowd at the 40,518seat Globe Life Field. Local officials are still able to impose “mitigation strategies,” such as reduced capacity.

Lester felt ‘sluggish’ last season

Nationals left-hander Jon Lester said he felt “a little more sluggish” than usual last season when he pitched for the Cubs.

“There would be times where I would run out in the fifth, sixth, seventh inning and feel like I hit a brick wall. There were times last year where I would come out of the bullpen and be like: ‘God, did I pitch the game already?’ ” Lester said.

He blames the lack of energy on hyperparathyroidism, which can lead to someone tiring easily. So last week, Lester left camp to have what he called very minor surgery to remove one of his parathyroid glands and he says he already senses a difference in his energy levels.

This and that

Yankees left-hander Zack Britton is scheduled for surgery Monday to remove a bone chip from his pitching elbow and seems likely to be out until at least May.

◆ Reds first baseman Joey Votto is out indefinitely after testing positive for COVID-19 at spring training, the team said.