There are few things scarier in spring training than hearing that your starting pitcher left a game early because of tightness in his throwing shoulder.
So when Neftali Feliz did just that on Tuesday, there were some concerned faces around the Rangers. The last thing they need is for Feliz to miss time while he's making the transition from closer to starter, especially if there's any suggestion that the missed time has something to do with his arm not being able to handle the increased workload.
The natural progression of things calls for speculation that the Rangers might be looking for an insurance policy against an extended absence from Feliz. At this point in the game, that means wondering if Roy Oswalt would be heading to Surprise to get fitted for a uniform before rounding himself into shape after an extended offseason.
Move along folks, there's nothing to see here.
Jon Morosi of FOXSports.com reports that Feliz's shoulder issue hasn't changed a thing. The Rangers still aren't interested in adding the veteran starter to their pitching stable.
There's no thought that Feliz's shoulder is a serious problem and that the Rangers' response was mostly precautionary. That alone would explain why the Rangers wouldn't want to add a veteran arm who would need to have a spot in the rotation to call his own. But the Rangers are already well suited to stomach any temporary bump in the road.
Scott Feldman and Alexi Ogando are both on hand as experienced starters should a need arise. Feldman would probably get the job in order to avoid having Ogando yo-yo between roles without taxing his ability to prepare for work. The team is good enough as a whole to swallow that kind of change in fortune, even if the mentality around the team may have shifted toward doing absolutely anything it takes to win a game.
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Should the news about Feliz take a turn for the worse, feel free to revisit the issue. But, for now, the Ranger team you see is going to be the Ranger team you're going to get.
