PHOENIX — Texas Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said Thursday morning that, with only three days left in camp, “I don’t think 8 for 8 or 0 for 8 is going to make or break” a player’s individual roster candidacy.
Some might’ve forgotten to tell infielder Ezequiel Duran and outfielder Mark Canha. The two roster candidates each hit their third home run of the spring on consecutive pitches from right-hander Brandon Woodruff in the fourth inning. Duran, who’s now slashed .300/.417/.600 this spring, hit a high Woodruff fastball 417 feet to left field. Canha, who’s up to .324/.342/.568 in Cactus League play, sent Woodruff’s fastball over the center field wall in the next at bat.
Duran might’ve locked up the utility infielder role with his strong play in the last week-and-a-half. Canha’s path to the roster became complicated when the Rangers signed former NL MVP Andrew McCutchen to a minor league deal, but in 14 games, he’s done his part offensively to garner consideration.
Here are three other observations from an 11-4 loss at American Family Field in Phoenix on a 100-degree night.
Rangers
Last Latz impression: Texas Rangers left-hander Jacob Latz chuckled a bit before he answered the question.
So, uh, how’d it feel out there?
“I actually felt the best this outing mechanically and where the shapes were,” Latz said. “The results were not there.”
Latz, in his last Cactus League start as he competes for the team’s fifth starter role, allowed seven earned runs on eight hits and two walks in 3⅔ innings pitched against the Brewers. He needed 41 pitches to record five outs before Schumaker pulled him before the second inning ended, and in the third, he gave up two doubles, a single, a walk and a batter reached on an error before he was lifted for a second time.
The larger concern as it pertains to his viability as a full-time starter was the precipitous drop in velocity. Latz ran his fastball 94-96 mph in the first inning, but by the fourth, it had dropped to 90-91 mph. It also coincided with his best inning when he retired the Brewers in order on just 12 pitches.
“The velocity dip is perplexing,” Latz said, “because I feel the same. I don’t understand. For whatever reason, I don’t know the answer to it, however the stuff still plays as it goes on.”
Both Latz and Schumaker were encouraged by certain aspects of the start, like the mechanics on the mound, the early fastball life and his finish.
“It was kind of a weird night overall,” Schumaker said. “When the stuff was really good, that’s where he had the longer innings. When the stuff kind of tailed off a little bit, then he pitched and he had quick innings. It’s just kind of a weird start, but even though I know what the numbers say, there were actually some positives toward the end.”
Second base setbacks: Schumaker acknowledged that the team’s defense didn’t do Latz many favors early in his start. Second baseman Sam Haggerty — who had one charged error when he fumbled a groundball and another low throw to first base that allowed a runner to reach — was among the offenders.
Haggerty, who largely played the outfield last season, has gotten more opportunities at second base this spring as the Rangers look for ways to best utilize their bench. Thursday’s game was not his best performance, but in 86 total innings spent at the position in the big leagues, he has a perfect fielding percentage. It still may behoove the Rangers to carry a bench player with experience at second base with former ironman stalwart Marcus Semien now with the New York Mets.
Hot stretch from an important arm: Left-handed pitcher Robert Garcia has been dialed in over his last four Cactus League appearances. He’s pitched 4⅔ scoreless innings in his last four games, struck out eight batters, allowed one hit and walked none.
Wednesday, in 1⅔ innings, he struck out three batters and didn’t allow a base runner. He previously said that his experience with Team Mexico in the World Baseball Classic proved valuable toward his growth as a high-leverage arm. Shutout innings and a high percentage of strikes (70% in his last four games) doesn’t hurt either.
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