Rangers rotation candidates could become more than Darvish’s seat-filler

The state of the Texas Rangers’ starting rotation entering spring training isn’t all that different from each of the past handful of camps.

One spot is open, the fifth and final spot, and the line of candidates is long and filled with flaws.

Most are inexperienced. The ones who do have experience are coming off a dreadful season, an injury or a change in roles.

Not exactly awe-inspiring, but these are No. 5 starters, after all. If they were more polished, they wouldn’t be competing to avoid the minor leagues. Or worse.

They are vying for a spot that, if all goes according to plan, will be taken from them, in this case when Yu Darvish comes off the disabled list.

If that sounds familiar, it should.

In 2015, Nick Martinez led a group of rotation candidates who came to camp to serve as fill-ins for Martin Perez and Matt Harrison, then Darvish was hurt a week into spring games and Derek Holland was hurt a week into the season.

Martinez won a spot in 2014 because Darvish needed an extra week, and Martinez ended up making 24 starts as more injuries hit the rotation.

“You saw last year, Darvish goes down, Holland goes down, and we were left needing those young guys to step up,” manager Jeff Banister said. “There might be another one of these young pitchers who has an opportunity to step in if given the chance.”

Newsflash: Pitchers get hurt over the course of 162 games. They get hurt in spring training. Recent history shows that Rangers pitchers are going to get hurt, the 2011 rotation was an exception.

It could happen in 2016. Aside from Cole Hamels, an iron horse, the other four starters expected to carry the Rangers to the postseason have a checkered injury past.

So, get up to speed on Chi Chi Gonzalez, Martinez and Nick Tepesch this spring, and A.J. Griffin, Jeremy Guthrie and Cesar Ramos.

Don’t lose track of Anthony Ranaudo and Phil Klein, either.

“If would be great to start with the same five and say these are going to be your guys. It doesn’t work out that way,” Banister said. “We’ve got a really good one coming, but we need others to be good also.”

The Rangers like his sinker, and he believes he has found a good curveball to help him change speeds better than that slider that he sometimes throws too hard.

He isn’t looking at the open spot as a temporary position, but he knows it’s a distinct possibility.

“It happened to me last year,” Gonzalez said. “But as long as I’m on the team and we play well while I’m there, I’ll be happy.

“Injuries are going to happen. I’m not wishing anything on anyone. It could happen to anyone. It could happen to me.”

No one is going to win a job this early in camp, though every favorable impression counts for something. So, Tepesch gave himself a boost by wowing pitching coach Doug Brocail on Sunday.

Brocail was so impressed that his answer isn’t fit for publication. But maybe Tepesch’s bullpen showing shouldn’t come as a surprise.

He stunned the field in 2013 en route to winning the fifth spot in the rotation and knows what it takes. Health, something he didn’t have last year, is among them, but so is not getting lost in the competition.

“I know what I have to do to put myself in the best position,” Tepesch said.

While it might look as if Tepesch and others are vying for a temporary gig, with Darvish scheduled to debut his new elbow no later than early June, the Rangers’ track record says not to slap a seat-filler label on the winner.

This story was originally published February 22, 2016 at 3:15 PM with the headline "Rangers rotation candidates could become more than Darvish’s seat-filler."