A.J. Griffin, Texas Rangers both hoping he’s answer to rotation question

Right-hander A.J. Griffin was one of the Oakland Athletics’ promising young arms in 2012-13. He was 21-11 with a 3.60 ERA those two seasons, including 200 innings in 2013.

But Tommy John surgery in April 2014 changed his career trajectory. He’s hoping a new start with the Texas Rangers helps him get back on track.

The Rangers are hoping, too, that a return to form will help them solidify a starting rotation that needs to fill two spots for at least the first two months of the season before Yu Darvish, himself coming off Tommy John surgery, returns.

After missing all of 2014, Griffin returned last season but “shut it down” at the end of June after feeling tightness in his right shoulder.

“I didn’t want to push it too hard. I worked on getting myself ready to go [for] this year,” he said from the Rangers clubhouse Thursday morning, the day pitchers and catchers reported to camp. The first workout is Friday.

“I think I tried to come back a little too fast from the Tommy John and didn’t get it stretched out good enough.”

The Rangers aggressively pursued Griffin in the off-season, and after three weeks of negotiations, he signed a minor league deal with a big league spring training invitation in late December.

“It made me feel good the way they pursued me here,” said Griffin, 27. “[They told me] there’s a couple spots open here and if I’m healthy there’s a good chance I could come here and help contribute.”

Even if he fails to nail down a spot in the rotation, just being back healthy feels like a success to Griffin.

“It’s hard to be on the shelf and not be able to be out there and help your boys win. I’m hoping I can turn the page and get out there and help these guys win some ballgames,” he said.

An MRI in mid-January showed a healthy shoulder and elbow, Griffin said. He’s thrown three bullpens so far and feels good. More important, he’s feeling confident again. He’s been able to locate his pitches and change speeds as he did three years ago.

“I’ve been a warrior my whole life,” said Griffin, who was wearing a Rangers workout shirt with “Compete” stamped on the front. “I really love competing and I’m driven. I’m ready to get out there and do my thing again and get some guys out. As long as I’m feeling good I feel like the sky’s the limit.”

Jones’ 50th and final

For once, Rangers coach and newly appointed replay czar Bobby Jones wants to spend a summer at home in Tulsa.

Jones, 66, who is beginning his 46th season in the Rangers’ organization and first as the replay coordinator, will retire after 50 years in the game at the end of the season.

“I just figured it was time to go. I still love it and still have fun with it, but you look back on some lonely days and lonely nights, and the wife is at home all by herself. It’s time to be a husband now,” he said. “It’s definitely something the wife and I have been talking about it for some time.”

New digs

The Rangers offered a tour of the newly renovated spring training facility Thursday afternoon. Highlights include a remodeled, 3,000-square-foot clubhouse with space for 70 lockers. The old one had 58.

Players are most impressed with a super-size weight room and conditioning facility that covers 6,300 square feet and a 1,600-square-foot outdoor workout area with artificial turf and canopy. Players are also enjoying retractable netting in the covered hitting cage, which replaced metal fencing that cramped the cage.

Safety netting installed

Six-foot-high safety netting has been installed behind both dugouts at Globe Life Park. The netting spans the length of each dugout and connects with the netting already behind home plate. The new nets give the Rangers 136 feet of netting from behind home plate down each baseline.

This story was originally published February 18, 2016 at 11:41 AM with the headline "A.J. Griffin, Texas Rangers both hoping he’s answer to rotation question."