Ross doesn’t help clear Rangers’ rotation picture

Tyson Ross made his fourth rehab start Friday night, and it didn’t do much to clear up the mess at the back of the Texas Rangers’ rotation.

The right-hander allowed eight runs in five innings for Triple A Round Rock, and three of the 10 hits he allowed came on back-to-back-to-back home runs in the first inning. Ross walked only one, but he hit two batters.

And, apparently, he was struck in the foot by a batted ball.

Manager Jeff Banister said that he didn’t know if Ross, out since the start of the season after off-season thoracic outlet surgery and because of back spasms in April, would be ready to join the rotation until speaking to him in the coming days.

“The No. 1 factor in the decision-making process is the healthy,” Banister said. “He’s healthy. We had kind of a mutual agreement and thought process on him going out and getting the extra start. We’ll sit down with him and see where he’s at.”

Banister said that Ross improved as the outing continued, as he was able to find his rhythm and delivery. The slider, his best pitch, wasn’t as sharp as it had been in his other rehab starts.

The Rangers expected that Ross, who threw 87 pitches, would have been available to them this weekend after his third rehab start. Instead, they are leaning toward using Austin Bibens-Dirkx on Sunday in another spot start and either Nick Martinez or Dillon Gee on Tuesday at Houston.

This story was originally published June 10, 2017 at 11:19 AM with the headline "Ross doesn’t help clear Rangers’ rotation picture."