This Texas Rangers rookie, injured in the offseason, won’t be ready for Opening Day
No pitcher was harmed Wednesday during the first day of Texas Rangers spring training. A couple of them were already hurting, and one of those won’t be ready to start the regular season.
Demarcus Evans won’t throw off a mound until mid-March, general manager Chris Young said, because of an offseason lat strain. The right-handed reliever, who made his MLB debut late in 2020, was thought to be in the mix for a spot on the Opening Day roster.
“Our expectation is that it will be a slower ramp up for him,” Young said. “This is a player we like and will be in our future plans. Our goal is to keep him healthy for the rest of the season and not rush him. We’ll take that cautiously.”
One player who will be in the bullpen April 1 at Kansas City is left-handed reliever Joely Rodriguez. He’s slowed on two fronts: by a sprained ankle that interrupted his offseason throwing program and by a visa issue.
Brock Burke, another lefty, missed all of last season after having shoulder surgery and will be on a similar schedule as Evans, Young said.
