HOUSTON -- Right-handed reliever Mike Adams has missed the first two games of the Rangers-Astros series with a respiratory infection. Adams said Sunday morning he feels better and is ready to pitch, but manager Ron Washington wants to give him one more day off.

"If we can stay away from him, we will," Washington said.

If Adams is out, Washington will use Koji Uehara, who has a 10 1/3 scoreless inning streak going.

It was a serious health issue for Adams who went to an area urgent care clinic on Friday afternoon and didn't get to the ballpark until 30 minutes before first pitch.

"I'm getting better," Adams said. "I told [the coaching staff] I'm good to go. It was kinda bad. I never had a respiratory infection before. It was zapping all my energy."

Adams said he had some shortness of breath and was checked for pneumonia.

"I feel a helluva lot better than I did the last four days," he said.

Notes: Nelson Cruz is starting in right field today after coming out of the ninth inning on Saturday night due to tightness in his right quad. Cruz and Washington don't believe the leg is a big deal. Washington said he wanted more speed in the outfield as the reason for taking Cruz out and inserting Craig Gentry in center, Brandon Snyder in left and moving Josh Hamilton from center to right in the ninth inning.

"It's good," Cruz said of his quad. Later he added, "Sometimes I don't feel it at all. Game starts, I feel it because I got to get a little more loose." Cruz said he's getting treatment and doing stretching exercises to keep his legs loose.

Closer Joe Nathan is available to pitch after getting Saturday night off. Nathan had pitched four consecutive days. Reliever Alexi Ogando will not pitch because he went two innings Saturday. Robbie Ross, the lone lefty in the bullpen, will pitch today if needed. ... Washington said Mike Napoli will catch Yu Darvish Monday night in Seattle. Yorvit Torrealba starts at catcher today. ... Adrian Beltre could move to DH when the Rangers go to Seattle.