Ronald Guzman needed big spring to make Texas Rangers’ roster. He feels he’s done it.
Leaving the family behind for an extended stay at Texas Rangers spring training is never fun, especially with the wife still working away at home with two kids on spring break.
Weather like Friday’s in the West Valley certainly cushions the blow.
These are the days that make spring training so awesome for fans, players, media, vendors, everyone. How does 85 degrees, a gentle breeze and not a cloud in the sky sound?
Oh, perfect.
The baseball at Camelback Ranch left a lot to be desired, as least from the Rangers’ perspective. The world champs appear to be doing just fine.
Here’s the Surprise Five from a 7-2 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Guzman confident
This shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone, but Ronald Guzman believes he has done enough this spring to not only make the Rangers’ Opening Day roster but to get a chance for steady at-bats.
The Surprise Five wholeheartedly endorses that.
Guzman connected for his third Cactus League homer, this one an opposite-field shot off All-Star closer Kenley Jensen, and is carrying a 1.203 OPS through 26 spring at-bats.
No, it’s not a large sample size, but the sample size gets larger when adding in his MVP run during the Dominican Winter League.
“I feel like I’m a totally different player than last year,” Guzman said. “I feel like I’ve shown that everything I’ve done in the offseason is definitely different and I’m going in the right direction. I do feel like I’ve earned some opportunity and I feel good about it.”
His competition at first base is Nate Lowe, who is trending in a better direction, too. Guzman, though, has added the outfield to his bag, and that’s significant with Willie Calhoun likely to start the season on the injured list.
Guzman, Lowe and Khris Davis could somehow share at-bats a designated hitter.
The Rangers also believe that Guzman is different and better equipped to maintain what he’s done the past five months against MLB pitching.
“He’s grown up a lot, and the last couple years have taught him a lot about himself,” manager Chris Woodward said.
Cody labors
Kyle Cody received a taste of the Dodgers’ deep lineup, which was still deep even though third baseman Justin Turner wasn’t in it. It must have tasted like a two-dollar steak, not good and difficult to chew through.
Cody lasted only 2 1/3 innings, allowing eight hits and five runs. The Dodgers worked deep counts thanks to their ability to stay alive with two strikes.
If there’s a team out there that shows a pitcher where he needs to improve, it’s the Dodgers.
“Did I like that outcome? No,” Cody said. “I competed. I didn’t have my best stuff, but I tried pitching with what I had. That’s a good lineup. Credit to them.”
But, as he always does, Cody battled until he ran out of bullets. The right-hander limited the Dodgers to just a run apiece in the first and second innings following leadoff doubles.
Despite his numbers after four appearances (9.72 ERA, 2.28 WHIP), he has seen improvement since the start of camp and remains in the hunt to be part of the two tandems the Rangers will use to fill out their rotation.
“I’d say I’m progressing upwards,” Cody said. “I feel really good. My body really feels good. That’s the No. 1 thing, health for me. I’m sure the numbers aren’t as I’d like them to be, but I feel my pitchers are trending in the right direction. I haven’t lost any confidence.”
Bush the closer?
Woodward said Friday morning that he still isn’t ready to name a closer. It’s still too early to do that, and he isn’t entirely sure who is going to be on the Opening Day roster.
More and more, though, Matt Bush is looking like he belongs on the roster and could be used in the ninth inning. He tossed a scoreless inning against the Dodgers, though all the regulars were long gone.
As is the case with Guzman, the Rangers are seeing signs that Bush’s performance isn’t some cheap spring fling. The stuff is there, and Bush is also in a good place mentally when it comes to how he needs to pitch.
“It is going to be hard to keep him off because he has pitched really, really good,” Woodward said.
Jose Leclerc should get save opportunities, and Ian Kennedy has experience closing games. Like Bush, Kennedy is in camp on a non-roster deal, and the Rangers will have to clear a 40-man spot for them if they make the team.
That could be tough, though one spot can be created by placing Jonathan Hernandez on the 60-day IL.
Two non-roster relievers and either Brock Holt and Charlie Culberson as the utility infielder could make it tough for anyone else, especially ...
Yang good again
... Hyeon-Jong Yang, the veteran from Korea who allowed a run in three innings and struck out four against the Dodgers. He has eight strikeouts in six innings over three appearances, and has shown that his stuff plays against big-league hitters.
He is built up enough to be in the mix for a tandem role or to work multiple innings in relief. And for a team that needs innings, Yang would seem to have a lot of value to the Rangers.
“We’ve got a lot of decisions to make, and he’s part of that,” Woodward said. “He’s part of that discussion every day.”
The guess here is that Yang doesn’t make the team but is asked to be part of the alternate group to start the season. Fellow left-handers Wes Benjamin and Taylor Hearn deserve the first look ahead of Yang after what they showed last season and how they have performed this spring.
Rangers link-a-licious
Another edition of the Surprise Five, and another batch of links to help you guys catch up on Rangers news and features at the Star-Telegram’s Rangers page.
Pay particular attention to the Charley Pride Fellowship Program news. The Rangers are trying. They know they can’t effect change overnight, but they are hoping to start open some doors that have been mostly closed to minorities.
Taking a stab at the Opening Day roster.
Davis heating up could answer a key late-spring question.
Strange-but-true game for Nick Solak.
