SURPRISE, Ariz. — Derek Lowe will be in Texas Rangers big-league camp Friday, apparently ready to compete for a spot on the Opening Day roster even though he has yet to set foot on a field this spring.
He’s been throwing and working out for a chance to play in 2013, but the first order for Rangers coaches today is to see just how ready Lowe is. Then they’ll get a feel for how he might be used.The Rangers have assured him of only a chance to compete for a spot in the bullpen, an area that is hardly foreign territory for the former All-Star closer. But with the exception of the final two months of 2012, Lowe has been a starter for the past 11 seasons.The Rangers having openings in both roles and in past seasons have needed a pitcher who can work in long relief and also make an occasional spot start. Lowe could be that guy.“The first role we have for him is to get him out here and see if he’s ready,” manager Ron Washington said Thursday. “I think he’ll create a role if he makes the club. Right now, we want to see where he is and what he’s capable of doing.”Lowe, 39, agreed to a minor-league contract Wednesday night that could pay him as much as $1.7 million if he makes the big-league roster and meets all of his incentives. He’s a ground ball pitcher who fared well (1-1, 3.04 ERA) as a Yankees reliever last year.He also provides versatility in case a starter needs to be skipped or just isn’t performing.“It’s always valuable to have a guy like that,” Washington said.Olt out againMike Olt was experiencing some difficulty eating a yogurt parfait for breakfast, so playing baseball probably was going to be another tough task a day after he had an infected wisdom tooth removed.The rookie said he wanted to play, which Ron Washington later backed up, but the manager, who has his own rugged dental history, opted to keep Olt off the travel list to Camelback Ranch.Olt said his lower right wisdom tooth had been bothering him for four days. The training staff tried to clear the infection with antibiotics to avoid an extraction, but by Wednesday the pain was so severe that Olt had to be scratched from the lineup and sent to a dentist.“They didn’t know if it was going to be as bad as have to get my tooth out,” Olt said. “Might as well get it out now rather than the middle of the season.”Gloomy forecastThe weather in the Phoenix Valley is expected to turn cool and rainy today after a week of sun-soaked days, and the Rangers’ game against Milwaukee could be postponed.If it is, manager Ron Washington said, the pitchers scheduled to face the Brewers would be pushed back to another day or get their work in the batting cages. Only relievers are scheduled to pitch at Maryvale Park.If the game is played on a wet field, don’t expect to see designated hitter Lance Berkman. Washington was planning to play Berkman Friday and Saturday but won’t if the conditions would pose a risk to Berkman’s right knee.“If we end up playing tomorrow and it’s one of those nasty days, I don’t think I’m going to put him out there,” Washington said. “But if it’s one of those days when the weatherman is wrong, he’ll play.”Jeff Wilson, 817-390-7760 Twitter: @JeffWilson_FWST
