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ARLINGTON, Texas -- Jake Peavy has been scratched for Thursday night's start against the Rangers because of back spasms, so the Rangers will see left-hander Hector Santiago instead.

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ESPN senior MLB analyst Buster Olney joins Fitzsimmons & Durrett to discuss the Rangers' strong start, Matt Harrison's additional back surgery and much more. Listen

It means the Rangers will face a left-handed starter for the third straight game. How this will impact the Rangers' lineup remains to be seen. David Murphy is supposed to start Thursday, but he has sat the last two nights with a left-handed starter going for the White Sox. It's also currently 46 degrees, which means the cold weather could impact designated hitter Lance Berkman and his sore knee and maybe catcher A.J. Pierzynski and his sore oblique (which he said was much improved after a pinch-hit appearance in Wednesday's game).

Santiago, a 23-year-old from Newark, N.J., is 0-1 with a 2.51 ERA in seven appearances. He will be making his first start of the season and fifth of his career. He appeared twice against the Rangers in 2012 and allowed a hit and no runs in two innings. Ian Kinsler had the lone hit out of seven Rangers' at-bats.

The 31-year-old Peavy is 3-1 with a 3.38 ERA for the season. He won his most recent start last Friday against Tampa Bay. But the two-time All-Star hasn't had great success against the Rangers, so Peavy being scratched might not be that big of a break.

Here are the lineups for Thursday's game:

RANGERS
2B Ian Kinsler
SS Elvis Andrus
DH Lance Berkman
3B Adrian Beltre
RF Nelson Cruz
C A.J. Pierzynski
LF Jeff Baker
1B Mitch Moreland
CF Craig Gentry
SP Justin Grimm

WHITE SOX
LF Alejandro De Aza
2B Jeff Keppinger
RF Alex Rios
1B Adam Dunn
DH Paul Konerko
3B Conor Gillaspie
SS Alexei Ramirez
C Tyler Flowers
CF Dewayne Wise
SP Hector Santiago

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Lance Berkman will eventually play first base in a game this season. The question of whether he'll play there next week under National League rules in Chicago and Milwaukee is still a mystery.

Rangers manager Ron Washington said Wednesday that Berkman needs repetition at first base -- taking ground balls -- to prepare. But Washington also has said he's comfortable putting Berkman in the lineup at first base without him getting work there.

"He needs some repetition. We have to start getting him out there," said Washington, who added he hopes to get Berkman out for infield work soon. "You could put Berkman out there whether he's had repetition or not. I'm going to find out if he wants to play out there, and if he says he wants to play out there, I'm going to put him out there. You'd like to get some repetition before you put somebody into a position."

Berkman said Wednesday while it would help to take ground balls, it wouldn't be the same as being at first base in a real game. "The speed of the game is the real deal," Berkman said.

The Rangers will have to give up the designated hitter for Monday's makeup game at the Cubs and Tuesday and Wednesday at Milwaukee. Cold weather could also be an issue, though Milwaukee's Miller Park does have a roof to provide climate control.

Another issue could be taking Mitch Moreland's bat out of the lineup to make room for Berkman at first. Moreland is currently the Rangers' hottest hitter, batting .429 with six RBIs in his last nine games.

Other notes:

Pierzynski out again: Catcher A.J. Pierzynski, out Tuesday and Wednesday with a sore oblique, is an extra scout when it comes to his former team, the White Sox, after spending eight years with them. While Pierzynski sat by Washington for much of the game on the bench, the catcher wasn't offering up nuggets of information about his former team.

"He's was talking about anything and everything," Washington said. "Half of the stuff I couldn't understand."

Pierzynski said before Wednesday's game that the bruising in the area around his right oblique has improved and that he expects to play Thursday. Pierznyski took batting practice in the cages before the game.

Andrus is OK: Elvis Andrus is back in the lineup Wednesday after fouling a ball off his calf in the fifth inning of Tuesday's game. His calf stiffened up enough to where he couldn't move well to his left, which explains why Ian Kinsler was able to go all the way behind second base for a ground ball and get on out that brought on a full salute from Washington.

Kinsler said after the game that Andrus would usually be able to get to the ball.

"I don't usually foul the ball off my leg," Andrus said. "I've never had one like that."

Moreland in, Murphy out: Moreland was back in the lineup while David Murphy sat Wednesday. Jeff Baker was in left field to get his right-handed bat in the lineup against White Sox left-hander Chris Sale.

It's the first time either Murphy or Moreland have been out of the lineup for consecutive days. Moreland had three hits against White Sox lefty Jose Quintana and reached base all four plate appearances, giving Washington further reason to keep him in Wednesday's lineup.

"Logic would suggest that," Washington said. Murphy will play in left field Thursday against White Sox right-hander Jake Peavy, the manager said.

Washington will reach quicker: Murphy will be a defensive replacement for Baker in the eighth inning if the Rangers have a lead in a close game Wednesday night.

Washington said he should have put Murphy in the game in eighth inning of Tuesday's 10-6 victory. Baker, still nursing a knee injury, had a ball fall into front of him in the eighth inning. Baker bruised his right knee making a sliding catch in the left-corner in Anaheim last Tuesday. He's still not 100 percent, he said after Tuesday's game.

"It took a toll on him," Washington said. "He's fine. I have to make my defensive replacement earlier."

No update on Olt: Daniels said the Rangers didn't have an update on Triple-A infielder Mike Olt, who reported vision issues to club earlier this week. Olt, batting .139 for 72 at-bats, saw doctors Tuesday.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- A.J. Pierzynski could very well get another day off Wednesday as he rests a sore oblique muscle.

PODCAST
Ron Washington joins Fitzsimmons & Durrett to discuss Yu Darvish, the Rangers' recent losses and if the notion that the team looked fatigued is warranted this early in the season. Listen

On Saturday, No. 2 and 3 hitters Elvis Andrus and Lance Berkman had a scheduled day off. Berkman was given time off in the cold weather in Chicago a few weeks ago.

Rangers manager Ron Washington is serious about giving his regulars more time off during the season. Washington said in the days after the Rangers were eliminated by Baltimore in the AL wild-card game that he wished he had given his everyday players more rest. The Rangers lost 10 of 14 games and were swept by Oakland to end the 2012 season.

Third baseman Adrian Beltre was among five Rangers who played in at least 156 games. Ian Kinsler, Nelson Cruz and Andrus all played in the most games of their careers.

"My regulars were healthy and they were able to go out there, but if I can look back now maybe I could have done something in the middle of the season where I could have given them some time down," Washington said in post-mortemum news conference last October. "My everyday guys, I rode them, man."

Andrus, Beltre and Kinsler all had full days off in April. Veterans Pierzynski and Berkman have had a combined 10 games off. Washington has avoiding using regulars in pinch-hitting situations to make sure his players get a full day off.

The Rangers are off to another great start. Washington's approach could help bring a stronger finish.

Let's talk: Washington continues to get positive results when he makes a rare visit to the mound to talk to a pitcher. The skipper went to talk to reliever Robbie Ross after he hit Adam Dunn and fell behind Paul Konerko in the top of the ninth with two outs and a 10-6 lead. Ross responded by getting Konerko to ground out to end the game.

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Nelson Cruz broke his bat on a three-run homer to cap a nine-run fourth inning, guiding the Texas Rangers to a series victory against the Los Angeles Angels with a 11-3 win on Wednesday night.

Floodgates, opened: The Rangers chased rookie left-hander Michael Roth -- a ninth-round selection in last year's draft making his first career start -- in the fourth, sending 13 batters to the plate on the strength of five walks. Cruz delivered the dagger, lifting the first pitch he saw from David Carpenter over the wall in left-center field. Before beginning his trip around the bases, Cruz smiled toward the dugout and gestured that his bat had cracked.

A long frame: The nine runs in the fourth were the most scored by Texas in an inning since Aug. 22, 2012 against Baltimore, the most runs in a road game inning since Aug. 22, 2007, and the most plate appearances in an inning since April of last year.

Ace comes through: For the fourth time this season, Yu Darvish followed a Rangers loss with a win. The right-hander had been 3-0 with a 1.31 ERA pitching in games after a Rangers loss, and surely improved those numbers with six shutout innings Wednesday. Texas is still the only team in baseball that hasn't lost two straight games.

How Yu did it: Darvish had a pitch clocked as high as 98 mph and as low as 61 to keep Angels hitters off balance yet again. He struck out 11, reaching double-digit punchouts for the 11th time in his career and improving his career record against the Halos to 5-1, including 3-1 at Angel Stadium.

Berkman gets his second: Lance Berkman homered for the first time since April 7 and registered his first multihit game since April 9. Before the game, manager Ron Washington said this weekend's weather conditions in Minnesota would determine whether the switch-hitting Berkman, 37, gets a day off, but the designated hitter appears to be finding his groove.

Up next: Nick Tepesch (1-1, 3.07 ERA) looks to bounce back from last week's abrupt ending. Twins right-hander Vance Worley (0-2, 7.11 ERA) is scheduled to take the mound in the opener of the four-game set. First pitch is 7:10 p.m. CT on Fox Sports Southwest, ESPN-FM 103.3 and 1540 AM.

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- The Texas Rangers and Los Angeles Angels play the rubber match tonight at Angel Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 9:05 p.m. CT on ESPN 103.3 FM. Here's a look at the pitching matchup, featuring Rangers RHP Yu Darvish and Angels LHP Michael Roth.

Darvish (3-1, 2.03 ERA): Struck out 10 and gave up three hits in seven shutout against the Seattle Mariners in his last outing. ... His 38 strikeouts rank first in the American League. ... Darvish has not given up a home run this season. ... Has a 4-1 record and 4.36 ERA in seven career starts against the Angels.

Roth (1-0, 3.60 ERA): Scheduled to make his first career start. ... Gave up a base hit to the only batter he faced on Monday night, Lance Berkman. ... Earned a win in his major league debut on April 13, becoming the first Angels reliever to win his debut since 1983. ... Made one start this season with double-A Arkansas, throwing five shutout innings and striking out three. ... Was the Angels' ninth-round selection in the 2012 amateur draft out of South Carolina, which won the College World Series in 2010 and 2011.

Hitters: Mike Trout (6-for-19, 2 HRs, 4 RBIs and 5 BBs) has been successful against Darvish, while Josh Hamilton went 2-for-3 on April 7 when he faced the Japanese right-hander for the first time. ... Alberto Callaspo (7-for-16) is on the 15-day disabled list because of a right calf strain. ... Howie Kendrick (0-for-12, 5 Ks) and Mark Trumbo (3-for-18) have struggled against Darvish. ... Berkman singled against Roth on Monday. He was the only Texas player Roth faced.

Up next

-- Thursday at Minnesotta Twins: RHP Nick Tepesch (1-1, 3.07) vs. RHP Vance Worley (0-2, 7.11), 7:10 p.m. CT, ESPN-FM 103.3/1540 AM/Fox Sports Southwest

-- Friday at Minnesotta: RHP Justin Grimm (1-0, 2.70) vs. LHP Scott Diamond (1-1, 4.35), 7:10 p.m. CT, ESPN-FM 103.3/1540 AM/TXA21

-- Saturday at Minnesotta: LHP Derek Holland (1-1, 3.25) vs. Pedro Hernandez (0-0, 3.86), 3:10 p.m. CT, ESPN-FM 103.3/1270 AM/Fox Sports Southwest

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- The Texas Rangers erased a three-run deficit in the seventh inning and A.J. Pierzynski delivered the go-ahead home run with two outs in the ninth to beat the Los Angeles Angels 7-6 on Monday night in the opener of a three-game series at Angel Stadium.

PODCAST
Manager Ron Washington joins Ian Fitzsimmons to discuss the Rangers' comeback win over the Angels, A.J. Pierzynski's value to the team and much more. Listen

The rally: Elvis Andrus and Lance Berkman singled to start the seventh, and Adrian Beltre followed with a walk to load the bases. Pierzynski then singled in Andrus before a fielder's choice and an error allowed the Rangers to plate the tying runs.

Limiting the big bats: Rangers pitchers struck out Albert Pujols three times and got him to ground into a double play. They weren't as successful against Josh Hamilton, who recorded his first four-hit game as an Angel (all were singles).

Sixth-inning struggle: Derek Holland couldn't escape a sixth-inning jam, giving up the go-ahead run on Chris Iannetta's two-out double. The left-hander had recorded five of his previous six outs via strikeout but was unable to put Iannetta away. Jason Frasor relieved him and immediately surrendered a two-run single that gave the Angels a three-run cushion.

Singles party: The Rangers' first eight hits were singles, as they struggled to deliver an early knockout punch against Joe Blanton, who had lost all three of his starts this season. With Texas unable to come up with a key hit, Blanton pitched into the sixth inning for the first time in an Angels uniform.

Rangy Rangers: David Murphy made a diving catch in left field to limit the damage in the fourth, and Andrus followed it up with a spectacular play deep in the hole an inning later to get the speedy Peter Bourjos out by a step.

Up next: Alexi Ogando (2-1, 3.32 ERA) looks to rebound Tuesday night from his forgettable start in Chicago, where he surrendered five runs in 2⅓ innings. The Angels will counter with left-hander Jason Vargas (0-2, 6.75 ERA). First pitch is at 9:05 p.m. CT on Fox Sports Southwest, ESPN-FM 103.3 and 1540-AM.

The Rangers opened a three-game series Monday at their American League West rivals, the Los Angeles Angels. The focus this time around should be the second of six series between the teams, not Angels outfielder Josh Hamilton. The Rangers finish the week with a four-game series in frigid Minnesota.

Here are some things to watch for:

Rangers atop the West: The Rangers moved back into sole possession of first place Sunday by a half-game after their sweep of the Seattle Mariners, which coincided with the A's losing three straight to the Tampa Bay Rays. The Rangers are 9-4 against AL West rivals Seattle and Los Angeles.

Angels on the move: The Angels, off to another brutal start at 7-10, have won three consecutive games after Mark Trumbo's walk-off home run Sunday completed a sweep of Detroit. The Angels are 14-25 in April over the last two seasons, but they may have turned a corner with Sunday's emotional win over one of the American League's preseason favorites.

Trumbo, Trout heating up: Third-year player Trumbo and reigning AL Rookie of the Year Mike Trout have the Angels' offense at the top of the American League in batting average. Trumbo has reached base in all 17 games and has hits in 15 of them. His walk-off homer against Tigers reliever Phil Coke was his second of the season. Trout has 13 hits in his last seven games, raising his batting average to .307. He also had two stolen bases Sunday, giving him three for the season.

Improved Twins: The Twins have won four straight after Josh Willingham's three-run double in the seventh inning gave Minnesota a 5-3 victory and a two-game sweep of the Chicago White Sox. The Twins moved above the .500 mark at 8-7 and are a game behind first-place Kansas City in the AL Central.

Mauer starts strong: Twins catcher Joe Mauer is in his familiar spot among the AL leaders with a .375 batting average, sixth best in the AL. Rangers DH Lance Berkman is right in front of him at .378. Mauer has two home runs, seven RBIs and has a .437 on-base average -- Berkman leads the AL with a .509 on-base average.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Rangers rookie right-hander Nick Tepesch had good range of motion in his pitching arm Sunday morning and still expects to make his next start Thursday at Minnesota.

Tepesch was hit in the right wrist by a line drive off the bat of Seattle's Jesus Montero with two outs in the second inning. The ball scraped off of his elbow and left a visible cut. But fortunately it didn't catch him flush and x-rays were negative.

Tepesch was scheduled to be re-evaluated by Dr. Keith Meister. Tepesch was going to play catch before Sunday's game. He'll throw a bullpen Monday in Anaheim and if all goes well, he'll start Thursday.

"It feels pretty good," Tepesch said.

It's not the first time Tepesch has been hit in the pitching arm by a line drive. He was hit on the right elbow in college at Missouri, but said he made his next start.

Other Rangers notes:

Frasor's role: Right-hander reliever Jason Frasor has mostly come in with the Rangers behind this season with Tanner Scheppers getting the eighth inning work. But manager Ron Washington said Sunday that bullpen roles still haven't been defined and Frasor could assume a more important role.

"We have to get Frasor out there and get him going," Washington said. "When we get him going things will pick up for him."

Frasor has made six appearances this season, five of them scoreless. He has appeared twice in the last three games after having six days off.

Bullpen is good: Manager Ron Washington said his bullpen is in good shape for Sunday's game, even after long man Derek Lowe went four innings in relief. Joe Ortiz, Tanner Scheppers and Jason Frasor finished Sunday's game after start Nick Tepesch came out in the second inning.

Berkman in lineup: Washington considered giving Lance Berkman a day off Sunday, but the Rangers' DH wanted to be in the lineup. He missed four games on the recent seven-game road trip and didn't want to be out of the lineup another day.

"I went to Berkman and he said he wanted to play," Washington said. "I didn't ask any more questions."

With cold weather expected in Minnesota next Thursday-Sunday, Berkman will likely get to rest his surgically-repaired right knee.

Quirky schedule: The Rangers are in the midst of a strange schedule where they've played in Seattle and Chicago, come home for three games in Texas, and now go to Anaheim to play the Angels and then to Minnesota, where it's expected to be cold.

"I'm just concerned with the cold weather," Washington said. "We don't want to get any doubleheaders."

Tracking Lindblom: Right-hander Josh Lindblom, who came to the Rangers in the Michael Young trade with Philadelphia, is likely the guy to watch as the next starting pitcher in waiting.

Lindblom went five innings in an 8-7 victory for Triple-A Round Rock on Saturday night, allowing an earned run. He threw 95 pitches, 64 for strikes. Lindblom had seven strikeouts. He has 18 strikeouts in 17 innings as a starter with a .161 opponent's batting average.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Rangers survived an injury to starting pitcher Nick Tepesch, getting home runs from A.J. Pierzynski and David Murphy and four hitless innings from reliever Derek Lowe for a 5-0 victory over Seattle on Saturday night at Rangers Ballpark.

Tepesch knocked out: The rookie Tepesch was removed from the game after he took a line drive off his right wrist with two outs in the second inning. He was diagnosed by Dr. Keith Meister with a right wrist contusion and will be further evaluated on Sunday. Tepesch had three strikeouts through 1⅔ innings in his third big league start.

Lowe comes through: Derek Lowe entered the game in an emergency situation and was lights out. Lowe, who had a 4.91 ERA coming into Saturday, produced four hitless innings. He did it the Derek Lowe way, using his sinker to get ground balls. Lowe picked up eight outs on ground balls, including a double play to erase the lone runner he put on by a hit batter. He lowered his ERA to 2.35.

Ortiz, Scheppers wobbly: Reliever Joe Ortiz and Tanner Scheppers each entered the game with two outs and no one on base and proceeded to put the first two batters they faced on base. Ortiz was able to escape on a hard-hit ground ball by Mariners cleanup hitter Michael Morse to shortstop. Scheppers got out of his jam with a strikeout of Mariners No. 9 hitter Brendan Ryan.

Making the most: The Rangers had two hits off Mariners rookie Brandon Maurer in 6⅔ innings, but they made the most of them. Pierzynski had a home run to center field in the bottom of the fourth to give the Rangers a 1-0 lead. David Murphy gave the Rangers an insurance run in the bottom of the seventh inning with a two-out solo shot to right-center field for a 2-0 lead.

Andrus struggles again: Shortstop Elvis Andrus made it 13 consecutive at-bats without a hit with an 0-for-4 game on Saturday. He also couldn't get a bunt down with runners at first and second with no outs in the bottom of the eighth. Then, he struck out after the runners had moved up to second and third on a passed ball.

Berkman, Pierzynski produces: Designated hitter Lance Berkman picked Andrus up, taking advantage of a drawn-in infield for a two-run single past a diving Dustin Ackley with one out to give the Rangers a 4-0 lead. Pierzynski followed with a run-scoring single up the middle for a 5-0 lead.

Home sweet home: The Rangers improved to 6-2 at home this season and have a .633 winning percentage at home since the start of the 2010 season, second only to the Yankees' .635 winning percentage at Yankee Stadium.

Up next: Another rookie starter takes the mound for the Rangers as right-hander Justin Grimm (0-0, 4.50 ERA) faces Mariners right-hander Aaron Harang (0-1, 5.40 ERA) at 2:05 p.m. Sunday afternoon. The game will be broadcast on Fox Sports Southwest and will be on the radio at ESPN-FM 103.3 and 1540-AM.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Elvis Andrus isn't worried. His manager isn't worried. No one is worried.

So you shouldn't be, either.

Andrus, who is hitless in his past nine at-bats coming into Saturday night's game, is going to start hitting. In fact, he's been hitting the ball as hard as any Rangers player going back to the start of the last road trip in Seattle.

The problem is Andrus has only five hits in his past 31 at-bats. Going back further, he has nine hits in 50 at-bats. Andrus' batting average is at .209 entering Saturday's game.

His tough-luck stretch includes another frustrating at-bat from Friday -- a scorching line drive in the third inning that popped out of Mariners shortstop Robert Andino's glove. The ball was hit so hard that Andino had time to recover and nip the speedy Andrus at first base.

"Elvis has been stinging the baseball and getting nothing for it," Rangers manager Ron Washington said. "So I don't see where he's in a skid. I don't want him to change anything because when that starts finding holes, it's coming to come in droves."

Andrus said he was laughing as he went back into the field after the Andino play. He also hit a rocket back to the pitcher's mound for an out later in the game.

"There's nothing I can do about it," Andrus said. "Just keeping hitting that way.

"You get mad a little bit," he said. "You just have to keep swinging. They're going to fall eventually."

Andrus' offensive hard luck hasn't carried over into the field. Andrus hasn't made an error in 16 games. He made two brilliant plays up the middle in Friday's win.

"I learned a long time ago that offense is offense and defense is defense," Andrus said. "Especially when you're not hitting. I always say when I'm not hitting I better stop everything [in the field]."

Baker brings experience: Manager Ron Washington is thrilled with the job utility man Jeff Baker has done so far. Baker had a home run in Friday's 7-0 victory over Seattle, giving the Rangers their first run of the game.

Baker can play both corner outfield positions and also made a start at first base on Friday. More importantly, he's experienced in playing a bench role, something Washington appreciates, being that guy for several years with the Minnesota Twins. Baker is batting .308 in 13 at-bats.

"He doesn't panic," Washington said. "It's been a while since we've had one of those kind of guys playing a utility role. It's comforting that I understand what that role is, and it's nice to have a guy who has played that role and was successful. We made a nice choice in bringing him on."

Washington said Baker has been mentoring rookie Leury Garcia, the Rangers' utility infielder. First-base coach Dave Anderson was also a key bench player during his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants, which had made him a valuable mentor for Garcia as well.

2011 draft jinx: It's a tough time for first-round draft picks from the Rangers' 2011 draft class. Left-handed pitcher Kevin Matthews, taken with the 33rd pick, is out for the season because of a bone spur in his left shoulder and needs surgery. Matthews, who hasn't appeared in a game this season, will have surgery on Monday.

Outfielder Zach Cone, selected with the 37th overall pick, is out for the season after having surgery for a torn left Achilles tendon. The 23 year old was batting .308 with two doubles in seven games for Class A Myrtle Beach this season.

Berkman vs. Harang: Rangers designated hitter Lance Berkman has 15 hits against Seattle's Sunday starter, Aaron Harang, and seven of them are home runs. Berkman is batting a pedestrian .259 against Harang for 58 at-bats. "It's a statistical anomaly," Berkman said.

Darvish in good company: According to the Elias Sports Bureau, only three pitchers reached 10 career double-digit strikeout games in fewer starts than Yu Darvish -- Hideo Nomo (23), Dwight Gooden (24) and Bob Feller (27). Darvish did it in start No. 33.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Rehabbing reliever Joakim Soria suffered a pectoral muscle strain in his chest while throwing batting practice Friday in Surprise, Ariz. at extended spring training.

The Rangers don't think it's serious, and it has nothing to with his arm -- Soria is returning from Tommy John ligament replacement surgery.

"He's going great as far as his arm," Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said. "It could be a day or two. It could be longer. We're going to wait and see how it feels after the weekend before we know exactly what kind of impact it will have on his timetable. It has nothing to do with his arm, and that's a good thing."

Other Rangers notes:

More on rehabbing pitchers: Left-hander Martin Perez will begin throwing live batting practice in 7-10 days as he continues rehabbing from a broken left wrist. Right-hander Kyle McClellan, who has a strained right lat muscle, is scheduled to throw on a mound for the first time on May 1.

The Rangers are also excited about right-hander Colby Lewis, who has one or two more batting practice sessions to throw before the Rangers can begin looking to get him out on a rehab assignment.

"He continues to report to feeling really good," Daniels said. "Our pitching coaches are really happy with his progress. He's every bit of on schedule right now."

Berkman back in lineup: Designated hitter Lance Berkman said his surgically-repaired right knee is sore but that he could play a full nine innings at first base when needed.

"I can do it," Berkman said. "I have had some trouble with my knee being sore just from DHing, so I'm a little bit hesitant to say, 'yeah, I can run out there and play three or four nights in a row.' But if you said we absolutely have to have you play first base for a game, I can do it."

Berkman said he didn't have trouble with the knee in spring training, but it is sore after 15 games. "It's definitely worse than it was in spring training," he said. "But it's probably the weather conditions we've been playing in. Cold, wet, barometric pressure."

Washington talks to Borbon: Rangers manager Ron Washington said he spoke briefly with outfielder Julio Borbon, who was claimed on waivers by the Chicago Cubs on Friday. Borbon was the Rangers' Opening Day center fielder in 2010 and '11.

"I told him he doesn't have to prove anything," Washington said. "He's already a big leaguer."

None left on: Thursday's game was the eighth time in club history in which the Rangers didn't leave a man on base. It hadn't happened since July 7, 2007.

Rangers general manager Jon Daniels and manager Ron Washington were reminded once again Friday that what happened with their starting rotation in 2011 may never happen again.

Five pitchers, 155 starts out of 162 games.

It didn't happen last year when the Rangers used 11 starters. It's not going to happen this season after the club announced before Friday's game against Seattle that Opening Day starter Matt Harrison is out until at best around the All-Star break.

For the here and now it means two-fifths of the Rangers' rotation will be comprised of rookies -- 24-year-old Nick Tepesch and 24-year-old Justin Grimm. In other words, the Rangers are wandering into a big unknown. Tepesch looked great in his first start and Grimm has a lot of potential, but losing Harrison is a major blow.

"That was the one thing I felt like we were vulnerable to was an injury to one of the main guys in our rotation," designated hitter Lance Berkman said. "We have four excellent starting pitchers, but we have a thin list of candidates to replace (them). They have the ability to do so, but it's a track record issue. Every year there's some adversity to fight through and this might be it."

Berkman's a veteran player being honest. It's no knock on Grimm or Tepesch. Harrison won 34 games in 2011 and '12. Grimm will make his fourth career start Sunday, one more than Tepesch has made.

Daniels said Friday he doesn't expect to run out and make a trade. April doesn't make for the best trading season and the Rangers do have guys rehabbing in Arizona that could make an impact -- Colby Lewis, Neftali Feliz and Martin Perez.

"We're always keeping our eyes open," Daniels said. "But I don't think we'll do anything from outside. We'll play it out. We like the guys we've got. We like the guys that are on the mend. That's obviously an important group for us in Arizona."

The replacements, as we'll call Lewis and Co., won't be available until late May or June. So it's up to Grimm for now. His first task is to better the four innings in his start last week in Seattle.

"Justin had one start, wasn't at his best and I thought he battled through it without his best command," Daniels said. "He'll go again Sunday and we'll go from there."

ARLINGTON -- After getting two days off in Chicago because of chilly, wet weather, Lance Berkman will be back in the lineup to try and jump-start the Rangers' offense.

TEXAS RANGERS

2B Ian Kinsler
SS Elvis Andrus
DH Lance Berkman
3B Adrian Beltre
RF Nelson Cruz
C A.J. Pierzynski
1B Jeff Baker
LF David Murphy
CF Craig Gentry
SP Yu Darvish

SEATTLE MARINERS

CF Endy Chavez
3B Kyle Seager
1B Kendrys Morales
RF Michael Morse
DH Justin Smoak
LF Raul Ibanez
C Kelly Shoppach
2B Dustin Ackley
SS Robert Andino
SP Joe Saunders

CHICAGO -- On top of Alexi Ogando's struggles, the Texas Rangers' offense was once again an issue.

After a 6-2 loss to the Chicago Cubs on Thursday, the Rangers now have scored 55 runs on the season. Their 3.67 runs per game puts them 12th in the AL.

“It’s just a matter of time,” manager Ron Washington said. “We have some guys in the lineup that we’re depending on that are just not swinging the bat the way they’re capable of. You just gotta keep getting them at-bats and it’ll finally fall into place. Right now we just got to continue to do the things we can in the game. Our pitching has been keeping us around. This is the first day our starting pitcher didn’t really keep us in the ballgame.”

Washington added that getting Lance Berkman back will be a boost to the bats as they return to American League play. Berkman, who didn’t play in the Cubs series because of the lack of DH, is posting a robust .389/.500/.611 line on the season and is one of the few Rangers who has avoided any early season adversity.

Ian Kinsler, who went 2-for-4 on Thursday with a home run, admitted that it’s time for the bats to get going to give the Rangers' normally dominant staff a boost on their rare off days.

“You can’t rely on your pitchers every day. You have to be able to put up runs and give those guys a little bit of a cushion early, and we haven’t been able to do that lately,” Kinsler said. “We have to get off the blocks a little bit better offensively early in the game and give our guys a little bit of a cushion. They’ve been throwing the ball really well, and I think that can only help.”

Kinsler said the bad weather can make it a little more difficult for the offense, and Wrigley Field’s lack of modern player facilities didn’t help, either. However, Kinsler refused to use it as an excuse and was just happy to be heading back to Texas, where better weather surely awaits.

Kinsler and Nelson Cruz were the only Rangers to record a hit on the day, combining to go 4-for-7 with two home runs and two singles. The rest of the team went 0-for-21 with eight strikeouts and one walk against Cubs pitching.

Catcher A.J. Pierzynski didn’t seem concerned with the Rangers' lack of offense, saying it was more about bad luck then a bad approach.

“I mean, in the first inning Ian gets on to lead off the game and we hit into a double play,” Pierzynski said. “In the second inning, Nellie gets on, we have a hit-and-run on, I hit a liner and we would’ve had first and third and Villanueva sticks his glove out and catches it. The other inning (Kinsler) hits a rocket for a double play. It was just one of those days where it seemed like things weren’t meant to go our way. But that’s baseball, that’s the way things work. There’s no hanging your head because there’ s no time for it, no one feels sorry for you so you gotta be ready to go tomorrow.

The Rangers left no men on base for the only the eighth time in club history, as all three base runners they had on the day were erased on double plays. It was the first time the Rangers had done that since July 7, 2007 against the Baltimore Orioles.

CHICAGO -- With a rainout Wednesday night and more showers expected in the area all day Thursday, the pregame chat with Ron Washington focused on the possibility of another rainout. Washington was asked what positives may come from a few unexpected days off early in the season.

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Jim Bowden joins Fitzsimmons and Durrett for his weekly visit to discuss his opinion on Wrigley Field as a baseball venue, what he thought of Lance Berkman's comments about the historical park and his take on the Rangers early in the season. Listen

“There’s no benefit, you want to play,” Washington said. “We’re not really having a bunch of nagging injuries right now. There’s not too many guys that need days off, I was thinking of getting some guys some days off if we’d have continued to play. But these days helped that out, so (that’s) a blessing in disguise. When we’re able to play ball again, we’re just going to have to get out there and see if there’s any rust.”

If the Rangers are indeed washed out Thursday, it means left fielder David Murphy will have four straight days without getting a game in (the Rangers had a scheduled off day on Monday and Murphy sat Tuesday).

“(It) shouldn’t (affect him, as long as) he gets in the cage and continues to swing,” Washington said. “At this point, all the at-bats you had in spring training and the 50 or 60 you have in the regular season (help). Those that can’t hit, it might affect them, they will continue to not hit. Those that can hit … it’s mind over matter. You want to keep playing, but you’re not. You go in the cage and you continue to swing the bat and just keep the repetition going. When you’re able to get back on the field, then you’ll see where you are. You certainly don’t want to be sitting around during a rain delay.”

Washington said that the only work the players have gotten done over the past 24 hours is hitting in the cages. Wrigley Field has limited facilities for the players -- both the home and road teams -- so there weren’t many options since the field was unusable. Pitching coach Mike Maddux ran the pitchers and had them "use their arms."

Berkman gets a break: Washington did find a positive spin for one of his players. Lance Berkman was not expected to start any of the games in Chicago. Washington also admitted that Berkman was unable to get loose in the cold weather of Tuesday night’s game to be a pinch-hitting option.

“This could be a blessing in disguise for him as we move further on into the season,” Washington said. “He got a break, not because we wanted to give him a break, but because it worked out that way. We don’t have too many nagging injuries, I know those guys want to play, but it could be a blessing in disguise. We’re being challenged, sometimes over the course of a year, this happens. Believe me, it’s gonna get to the point where we’re gonna wish we had some days off. So you just take it in stride.”

Sizing up the competition: Washington discussed the team’s next opponent, the Seattle Mariners, saying that he felt they’re undoubtedly an improved team from last year’s last place 75-87 squad.

“They got some experience in that lineup to supply for their offense,” Washington said. “They’ve always played tight ballgames, they’ve always pitched, they’ve always played defense. They are improved. The only thing I see them lacking is some speed. But they certainly got some guys in that lineup that can hurt you and that have hurt people before. They’re no different than some teams.”

Seattle, 6-10 on the season, is tied with three teams for seventh in runs scored (56) and is 14th in batting average (.220) in the AL, and although their pitching is usually strong, they’ve allowing the sixth most runs per game (4.56) in the league.

Washington said no team had really separated themselves from the pack early on except for the 12-4 Oakland Athletics.

“Right now everything they’re doing is working,” Washington said. “They’re putting all kinds of runs on the board, they’re offense is lighting it up, the pitchers are doing a good job. They’re playing extremely well. At some point everyone else is going to catch up, as well.”

Oakland currently leads the league in numerous offensive categories, including runs (96), runs per game (6.00), OBP (.354), OPS (.818) and home runs (20), while the pitching has been solid, posting a 3.55 team ERA.