Pitching help is Rangers’ trade focus

General manager Jon Daniels said on Friday that he is seeking trade help for the Texas Rangers’ pitching staff more so than looking for an upgrade at catcher.

Daniels, though, didn’t gauge how serious talks with other clubs have gotten, only that activity has picked up the past week to 10 days.

The Rangers have been linked to multiple free agents, including starting pitchers Jake Odorizzi and Ervin Santana; relievers Aroldis Chapman and Andrew Miller; and catcher Jonathan Lucroy.

Lucroy, one of the game’s top catchers, would be under club control through 2017, but if Daniels is to extend his long track record of making trades before the non-waiver trade deadline, a deal for a pitcher is more likely.

“We want to do what makes most sense for the team, both long- and short-term,” Daniels said. “When you have a club playing well, the front office, we always feel like we want to help out, but it’s got to make sense for us.

“We’re a lot more focused on the pitching side.”

The Rangers would prefer to trade for a pitcher, who, like Cole Hamels, Jake Diekman and Sam Dyson in 2015, come with club control. Those players, though, don’t come on the cheap.

Daniels also said that the returns of Yu Darvish and Keone Kela from the disabled list are akin to adding pitchers via a trade, and Colby Lewis and Derek Holland will make the same impacts when they return in late August.

Each is at least five weeks out after Holland was placed on the 60-day DL to make room on the 40-man for Kela to come off the 60-day. Kela took the spot of left-handed reliever Diekman on the active roster.

Diekman is expected to return next weekend at Kansas City after suffering a cut left index finger July 6 at Boston, where a souvenir glass mug from the famed bar Cheers broke and cut him.

“Just getting these two guys back will help and Diekman,” Daniels said.

Holland to 60-day DL

What was originally thought to be something that would keep Holland out only until the All-Star break will now keep him out until at least Aug. 20.

The left-hander was transferred to the 60-day DL after the shoulder inflammation he felt after a June 20 start lingered until just before the end of the first half. Holland is throwing again, but the rehab plan the Rangers designed for him had him returning Aug. 19.

“He just started throwing last week,” Daniels said. “When you look at mapping out a rehab schedule for him, building him back up, it just takes time.”

The Rangers are cautiously optimistic that right-hander Kyle Lohse can avoid a DL stint because of a strained oblique muscle. He played catch Thursday and will attempt to throw a bullpen session Saturday.

If all goes well, he will be the starter Tuesday at Anaheim. Chi Chi Gonzalez and Nick Martinez are options at Triple A to make the start if Lohse can’t pitch.

Choo’s back woes back

Right fielder Shin-Soo Choo was out of the starting lineup to open the second half because of lingering stiffness in his lower back.

The Rangers sent Choo for an MRI on Friday morning as a precaution, and the belief is that he is not dealing with a disc issue. He said that his back had been feeling good enough to play after it acted up last week at Boston, but is tight again.

“During the All-Star break I didn’t feel it getting better,” Choo said. “Yesterday I worked out with the team, and it felt the same.”

With Choo out, Rougned Odor was the leadoff hitter, Nomar Mazara played right field and Ryan Rua was in left field against Chicago Cubs right-hander Kyle Hendricks.

Rangers sign two

Former Cuban star Alexei Bell, 32, signed a minor-league deal with the Rangers and was assigned to the Arizona League for a few games before likely heading to Double A Frisco. Bell played 14 seasons in Serie Nacional from 2002-2014, batting .319 with 138 home runs and 632 RBIs in 659 games.

The Rangers also signed 27th-round pick Lucas Jacobsen from Long Beach State ahead of the 4 p.m. deadline to sign players from the June draft. The right-hander was assigned to the Arizona League Rangers. The Rangers signed 34 of their 40 draft picks.

This story was originally published July 15, 2016 at 4:19 PM with the headline "Pitching help is Rangers’ trade focus."