Rangers mulling Holland to bullpen as work on playoff roster begins

The game after a division clincher is typically a day off for lineup regulars and bullpen arms that have been used over and over en route to the division title.

As such, the only regular starter in the Texas Rangers’ lineup Saturday was shortstop Elvis Andrus, but only because he is dealing with an illness and couldn’t combine his medicine with the booze that flowed Friday night after the Rangers clinched the American League West.

While Andrus was the only everyday player in the lineup against the Oakland Athletics in a 5-0 Rangers victory Saturday, some key contributors didn’t get a day off either.

Outfielder Shin-Soo Choo faced right-handed relievers Tony Barnette and Jeremy Jeffress during a morning session of live batting practice as all three tried to show they can make positive contributions during the AL Division Series.

Barnette and Jeffress are key pieces to the bullpen puzzle, and setting the bullpen will be the biggest challenge facing the Rangers over the next 12 days. After going with seven relievers last year, eight could be in the bullpen Oct. 6.

A new candidate to consider is Derek Holland.

“I think that eight is probably the optimum if you can pull it off, depending on the structure of the positional players,” manager Jeff Banister said. “The experience of going through it last year and the structure of what we have available to us, eight might be a better option.

“Barnette, we’ve got to get going. Jeffress, if we could get him going,” Banister said. “We’re going to have Derek Holland go out into the bullpen and see what he can give us and what that looks like, too.”

Four relievers look to be shoo-ins for the ALDS: closer Sam Dyson, fellow right-handers Matt Bush and Keone Kela, and left-hander Jake Diekman.

Barnette was a lock before straining his right oblique muscle some two weeks ago. But he has been showing steady improvement and threw 20 pitches to Choo and infielders Hanser Alberto and Joey Gallo.

Barnette will get a few days off and could be an option for a game as early as Tuesday against the Milwaukee Brewers.

“I’m ready to roll,” Barnette said. “I am ready to compete. I felt nothing. I was able to throw all my pitches and get extended. I am back to normal.”

Jeffress followed with 12 to 15 pitches the day after rejoining the team following three weeks at a Houston treatment facility stemming from his Aug. 26 arrest on suspicion of driving while intoxicated.

He threw off a mound Friday, and he and the coaching staff decided he was in a good enough spot to accelerate his throwing program. Jeffress, who threw every day while in a treatment program, said he’s ready to go.

“That’s based on how he felt and what he’s been doing,” Banister said “After he threw yesterday we talked to him. This is something that he felt like he could do and wanted to do. So, we got him out there today facing hitters.”

Holland hasn’t made a relief appearance since the 2014 season finale, when the Rangers tried to build his innings after missing the first five months of the season. He also worked in relief in the 2012 season finale at Oakland.

One of his most memorable games came in the 2010 AL Championship Series, when he logged 3 2/3 innings of scoreless relief at Yankee Stadium as the Rangers pulled away for a 10-3 victory in Game 4.

Holland could provide the Rangers with length out of the bullpen and big-game experience as the second or third left-hander.

“We’re going to take a look at it and see what it looks like and see how Derek responds in the bullpen,” Banister said.

This story was originally published September 24, 2016 at 4:33 PM with the headline "Rangers mulling Holland to bullpen as work on playoff roster begins."