Rangers hope night off helps Ian Desmond shake slump

Left-fielder Ian Desmond was not in the Texas Rangers’ lineup for the first time Saturday night.

Manager Jeff Banister said he planned to give Desmond a day this weekend, regardless of his struggles at the plate to start the season. Desmond is hitting .109 with just one RBI, which came on a soft infield single to first base on Thursday.

“I think Ian is in a good place mentally. This is a guy who has been in the big leagues for a while,” Banister said. “Obviously, he wants to perform well. The numbers don’t always follow our desires.”

“What I know about Ian and what I trust is it’s not the first time he’s gone through a 12-game stretch where he’s come away empty,” he said. “I still believe in the man, the athlete, the player.”

Ryan Rua started in left field for Desmond. He earned the Opening Day starting job there in 2015 before an injury derailed his rookie season. It was Rua’s fifth start and second in left. In his previous two starts (Monday-Tuesday at Seattle), he went a combined 5 for 8. Still, he’s adjusting to infrequent at-bats.

Martinez for Faulkner

Right-hander Nick Martinez was recalled from Triple A Round Rock to replace left-hander Andrew Faulkner, who was optioned late Friday night.

Faulkner struggled to find the rhythm he showed this spring in five appearances, including in Friday’s loss, in which he allowed three runs on two homers in 1  1/3 innings. Lefty Alex Claudio will assume Faulkner’s role while Martinez will be used as a multi-inning reliever and spot starter, Banister said.

“He seemed to be a little out of rhythm,” Banister said of Faulkner. “We’ll let him exhale a little bit and get him going in the right direction and [have] some positive, feel-good [outings] and get him back up here.”

Rotation update

Cole Hamels will maintain his routine by starting Tuesday’s series opener against the Astros on four days’ rest. Right-hander Scott Feldman will start for Houston.

A.J. Griffin will start Wednesday against right-hander Doug Fister to give Martin Perez, who threw 102 pitches Friday, an extra day’s rest. Perez faces Dallas Keuchel Thursday night.

Saturday’s starter, Colby Lewis, will get six days of rest and not pitch again until Saturday against the White Sox in Chicago.

Derek Holland, who is scheduled to start Sunday’s series finale with the Orioles, will start Friday in Chicago on regular rest.

Hamilton closer

Outfielder Josh Hamilton is feeling great and ready to work toward joining the Rangers, but the club is maintaining a cautious approach.

Left knee surgery early in spring training has kept Hamilton on the disabled list. He spent a week in Surprise, Ariz., while the club was on its first road trip and he’ll return when the Rangers head to Chicago on Friday.

Hamilton will play in extended spring training games, at first only as a designated hitter. He’ll build up to three-inning stints, including playing the outfield, before going on a minor league rehab assignment.

Hamilton needs at least 35 at-bats and to play consecutive nine-inning games during his assignment before being ready to return.

“Once he’s ready to start playing five innings he’ll go out on rehab assignment,” Banister said. “He has to hit all the medical marks, too.”

Hamilton might face Yu Darvish during a live bullpen session Sunday, Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said.

“He’s feeling great,” Daniels said. “He’s [still] on schedule for a mid-May return. He wants to push it up a little bit, but we want to make sure we get it right and he comes back once with no setbacks.”

This story was originally published April 16, 2016 at 8:26 PM with the headline "Rangers hope night off helps Ian Desmond shake slump."