Hyeon-Jong Yang could alter Texas Rangers’ plans after Kohei Arihara struggles again
A best-of-intentions Saturday is about to play out for the Wilson family in one of three ways:
Rain cancels the daughter’s 9 a.m. soccer game and an 8 a.m. 5K the family signed up for last month.
Rain cancels the 9 a.m daughter’s soccer game but not the 8 a.m. 5K, and I’m the only one willing to run.
Neither is canceled, and I’m still the only one who participates in the 5K.
No matter the outcome, it’s going to be hard for me to make it to the card show at the Marriott DFW South before the third game of the Boston Red Sox-Texas Rangers series at Globe Life Field.
The second game was fairly uneventful, at least from the Rangers’ perspective.
Here’s some Rangers Reaction from a 6-1 loss.
Arihara struggles
The biggest challenge facing a pitcher from coming to the majors from Japan is getting acclimated to pitching in a five-man rotation.
Even the great Yu Darvish at one point during his Rangers tenure said that the six-man rotation is superior to the five-man rotation.
Throw in a new ball, a new travel schedule and adjusting to cultural differences, and a pitcher from Japan can get worn out fairly quickly.
That might be what is happening with Kohei Arihara, whose velocity was down against the Red Sox. His off-speed pitches didn’t have the same bite.
The result was four home runs and six runs against him in 2 2/3 innings.
“I just simply feel that once I get adjusted to everything, including the four days’ rest, my velocity will go up,” Arihara said. “I just have to keep making adjustments.”
It was Arihara’s second straight short outing. He had five days’ rest Sunday before allowing five runs in two innings at Chicago. He had made two consecutive starts on four days’ rest, both of them good, before that.
He will be on four days’ rest ahead of his next start, assuming the Rangers don’t skip him or drop in a spot starter to give him a bit of a break.
“I don’t feel like I need an extra day,” he said. “I knew coming into the season, coming over to the States, I would be pitching on four days’ rest. I was prepared for it.”
It didn’t look that way Friday night.
Yang dazzles
Arihara was replaced by left-hander Hyeon-Jong Yang, the former Korea Baseball Organization MVP who was making his second MLB appearance.
It was so good that the Rangers are considering their options with him.
Yang allowed one soft single and a walk in 4 1/3 innings, striking out four. He worked quickly and efficiently, needing only 51 pitches to record 13 outs.
Arihara needed 55 to get eight outs.
The Rangers could slide Yang into a tandem role, perhaps with Arihara, or drop him into the rotation for a spot start before Arihara pitches again.
They are on the same schedule now, and Yang could be ready in five days.
“We’ve all been impressed,” manager Chris Woodward said. “That team was feeling pretty good at that point, they had scored six in a short amount of time and hit a bunch of homers. I don’t think it’s too early to talk about that.”
The Rangers are in the middle of playing games on 19 consecutive days. The entire pitching staff could benefit from a spot start.
“It’s all being discussed,” Woodward said.
Rangers’ busy month
The first month of the MLB season is over, and the Rangers are 11-16.
That’s not great, but it might be better than many were expecting.
The Star-Telegram chronicled it all. This is story 76 in the month, including the polls for Rangers star of the game after each game, just by me. Stefan Stevenson and Mac Engel wrote others.
Here are five that might be worth another look before diving into May.
Rangers move closer to 85% vaccinated.
Ron Washington still helping Rangers.
First regular-season Rangers Mailbag.
