Some Texas Rangers internal spring invitees are familiar. Others could be soon
The Texas Rangers continue adding to their roster for spring training. If the past few seasons are an indication, they will add after everyone reports to Surprise, Ariz.
Their biggest add came Tuesday, when the internal non-roster invites were revealed.
Eight of them.
Most of them should be familiar to fans. More should be familiar to those who follow the minor leagues. Some of them will be in a Rangers uniform this season.
The familiar faces are right-hander Taylor Guerrieri, who pitched last season for the Rangers, and infielders Andy Ibanez and Eli White. Both were in big-league camp last season before spending all of 2019 at Triple A Nashville.
Catcher Sam Huff, the Star-Telegram’s No. 1 Rangers prospect, will be in his first camp, and right-hander Jason Bahr, the Rangers’ Minor League Pitcher of the Year will join him.
Righy relievers Joe Barlow and Jimmy Herget along with infielder Sam Travis, acquired last week from the Boston Red Sox, also received invitations.
They brought the total of non-roster players to 22, a figure that grew to 24 on Wednesday.
Left-hander Kyle Bird, who was designated for assignment last week, received an invitation after he cleared waivers was assigned outright to Nashville. Veteran right Juan Nicasio received an invitation with his minor-league contract.
Bird made the Opening Day roster last season, and Nicasio has been on an Opening Day roster the past eight seasons. He was with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2019.
Burke slowed
Lefty starter Brock Burke, who tossed six scoreless innings in his MLB debut with the Rangers in August, will not be at full strength when pitchers and catchers hold their first workout Feb. 12.
Burke felt more discomfort in his shoulder in December and received a cortisone injection. The Rangers said there is no timetable for him to begin pitching in Cactus League games, but he won’t be too far behind the other pitchers.
Acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays in December 2018 in the three-team Jurickson Profar trade, Burke is expected to open the season as part of a prospect-laden rotation at Nashville.
