Heaney not happy with first spring start
The first start of spring training really means nothing for a pitcher. Unless you are renowned strike thrower Andrew Heaney and you’ve fallen behind the first hitter you’ve faced 2-0. So, Heaney was more upset over that than giving up a homer on the next pitch to Los Angeles’ Mookie Betts on Wednesday.
“It only matters how you feel physically, but I really don’t like falling behind guys,” Heaney said after his 1 2⁄3-inning outing in a rain-shortened 4-2 loss to Los Angeles. “I’m one of the worst spring training pitchers there is. I know that. But I’d much rather give up hits than walks. I didn’t like that I didn’t attack guys right away.”
Heaney also gave up a homer to Jason Heyward in the second inning on an 0-1 fastball.
He ended up walking two and striking out two, a bit uncharacteristic for a guy with a 4-to-1 strikeout-to-walk rate. But spring training is about getting feel for pitches and Heaney said he did work on his changeup.
Huff leaves with right shoulder tightness
Texas Rangers catcher Sam Huff was removed from Wednesday’s exhibition against the
San Diego Padres with right shoulder tightness and will be re-evaluated on Thursday, according to a team spokesperson.
Huff caught just the first inning of Wednesday’s splitsquad game and was replaced by non-roster invitee Cody Freeman.
The 25-year-old split time between the Rangers and Triple-a Round Rock last season. Huff was ranked among the top 100 prospects in all of baseball according to MLB Pipeline, Baseball America and Baseball Prospectus before the 2020 season. He slashed .240/.303/.372 in 44
games with the Rangers and hit 21 home runs with a .868 OPS with Round Rock.
Huff, a Phoenix native made his major league debut in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season and hit .355 with four home runs in 10 games.
He missed nearly three months in 2021 after he underwent knee surgery in April that kept him from being able to play catcher again until 2022.
He hit a home run in Texas’ win over the Cincinnati Reds on Monday.
With Jonah Heim and a healthy Mitch Garver at the catcher position, Huff ’s spot on the Opening Day major league roster isn’t certain. But, as Huff proved in 2022, he is a useful piece.
Huff caught 29 games for the Rangers last season after Garver, acquired from the Minnesota Twins last March, underwent season-ending forearm surgery in July.
Leclerc won’t pitch in baseball classic
On Thursday, Rangers manager Bruce Bochy confirmed the club has decided not to permit reliever José Leclerc to participate in the World Baseball Classic later this month for the Dominican Republic over concerns about some neck discomfort he reported after his first spring outing.
With Leclerc out, it means Martín Pérez (Venezuela) is the only player in the major league camp who will be heading to the tournament.
Pitcher Mitch Bratt, in minor league camp, is expected to participate for Canada.with 36 career saves, Leclerc is the Rangers’ likely choice to close games. He missed most of 2020 and 2021, recovering from shoulder and elbow surgeries. He didn’t pitch last year until June because of those injuries.
He was dominant over the last month of last season, however, as his velocity picked back up. He compiled a 1.54 ERA with 16 strikeouts in 11.2 innings after Sept. 1.
Davis optimistic, anxious about season
When the season begins, Ray Davis will have held the majority stake in the Rangers a little more than 12 years.
He now has the distinction of being the team’s longest-tenured steward. And he might be more excited than ever about the upcoming season.
“I am more excited than I’ve been,” Davis said. “There is more optimism. Sure, I’m nervous about the health of our players, about keeping everybody on the field. But from players to coaching support staff, we’ve got the kind of character I love.
“The first attribute for me is always character, bringing in the right kind of people that we want in the clubhouse and in the front office, and representing our team outside of Arlington. I think long-term that’s what’s going to make us successful. I think that’s what’s going to separate teams. There are teams that have more talent than us, but I don’t think they are going to be as successful as we’ll be over the long haul.”