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SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Sunday was another lighter day for Yu Darvish after he threw to hitters in an impressive 22-pitch session Saturday.

Darvish did some conditioning and PFP besides throwing off flat ground.

But before he went to the field, he ran into Michael Young in the trainers' room. Young said the two chatted briefly and shared a laugh or two.

"He can understand a little more [English] than he speaks," Young said. "He's a pretty funny guy. He's fitting in well. We've had great experiences with our Japanese teammates."

Young says having Darvish in the major leagues and in Texas is "great for baseball and great for our team."

Up next: Darvish will throw a five-minute bullpen session followed by 10 minutes to live hitters Monday, increasing his workload just a bit. We'll see how he does and feels.

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Well, we've already got one unique injury to update you on this spring.

Shortstop Elvis Andrus will probably miss a day or two of workouts after he had a Plantar's wart removed from his left heel in Dallas.

The Rangers aren't concerned about any "medium- or long-term concerns" in regard to it.

"He may just walking gingerly for the next few days," assistant general manager Thad Levine said.

As for some of the other players who arrived with injury concerns:

* RHP Mike Adams (hernia surgery) had a light day of workouts. He said he's had fatigue but nothing unusual and feels good. It's unclear if he'll throw to hitters Saturday as he may take an extra day to rest.

* Catcher Mike Napoli (ankle) said he felt good the day after giving his ankle a test by squatting down and catching bullpens. Napoli said at some point in the next few days he hopes to start some blocking drills and see how it responds.

"But I feel good," Napoli said. "I'm not worried at all. And I taped it up the last few days and that feels good."

* First baseman Mitch Moreland (wrist) is still limited to no more than 75 swings but said he needed only 60 to get his work in Thursday.

"I'm excited because I don't feel pain and I'm not far behind at all," Moreland said.

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- The Rangers have a new entrance for fans coming to spring training to watch the workouts on the back fields.The first day fans can watch the club is Thursday, when the pitchers and catchers take the field for the first official workouts. It's open at 10 a.m. Here's the detailed information from the club:

The practice fields at the Rangers complex will open to the public each day at 10:00 a.m. MT. Fans are advised that there is a new public entrance to the Rangers practice fields. Fans should now enter the practice fields from the east side of the complex on Bullard Avenue through the gate located between Fields 1 and 2. Ample free parking is located across the street from the new entrance on Bullard Ave.

The new east side entrance to the practice fields will make it much more convenient for fans once the Cactus League games begin in March. Fans will be able to access both the practice fields and Surprise Stadium from the east side and have to park only once to do so. Previously, with the practice field entrances on the west side off Parkview, it was necessary to drive to the other side of the complex to gain access to Surprise Stadium. Please note that fans may no longer access the practice fields from the west side of the complex.

Workouts will continue on the back fields until the beginning of Cactus League play with Rangers intrasquad games scheduled for March 1 and 2 at 12 noon on Field 1. Once the games begin, the Rangers will take batting practice on the practice fields on most days. Access to the practice fields is free of charge.

The Rangers begin Cactus League play by hosting the Kansas City Royals on Sunday, March 4 at 12:05 p.m. MT. Tickets for all Rangers home games at Surprise Stadium are available at the Surprise Stadium box office, by calling 800-745-3000, or at texasrangers.com.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Texas Rangers loaded a huge 18-wheeler full of stuff and a crew began the 18-hour drive to Surprise, Ariz., on Tuesday.

So what were some of the things inside that truck? A look:

* 100 cases of baseballs. That breaks down to 1,800 dozen balls -- 1,000 dozen of the regular balls and another 800 dozen of the balls marked "practice." The practice balls don't cost as much to make and are, consequently, about $10 cheaper per dozen. That's nearly 22,000 baseballs at a price tag of $115,275. The club will likely bring back about 200 dozen and will then re-stock for the regular season.

"Some of our guys hit one of those balls out on one pitch and they're gone," Rangers equipment manager Richard "Hoggy" Price said. "And it depends on how many they give away too."

Many of those balls are already "rubbed," thanks to bullpen catcher Josh Frasier and a deal he has with a school in Rockwall. He hosts a party every Super Bowl Sunday and the group breaks in the baseballs while watching the game.

* 200 helmets

* Two dozen bats for each player on the team. Many of those aren't actually in the truck, but they'll be shipped to Arizona. The club gets a list of what kind of bat each player uses and then purchases the bats. The cost: About $100 per bat. For most players, like Michael Young, two dozens bats is enough to use the entire spring training. For others, like Josh Hamilton, it won't be. Not only does Hamilton break some of them, but he'll likely lose a few in the crowd too.

"I used to see that as a bat flying into the stands, but now I see a 100 dollar bill flying," Price said. "Josh breaks more bats and goes through more of them than anybody."

* 20 cases of sunflower seeds. The club brings various kinds for the players and coaches.

* 50 cases of coffee. Price likes to be sure the team and the staff have the coffee they like. But he also prefers to shop and use the club's sponsors in Texas, where prices are cheaper, than shopping in Arizona.

* David Murphy said he's got a dollhouse and some other toys on the truck. It's stuff his wife packed for his kids, who will be going to spring training as well. That's not unusual. Many players will have their families with them since it's such a long stay in Surprise. So toys will make the journey west.

Price said he remembers getting the largest U-Haul truck he could in the late 1970s and driving to Florida with everything he could imagine. It would take nearly three days.

"Now, we've got a facility that's used year round, so you don't need quite as much," Price said. "That's nice."

The truck will be fully unloaded by Friday and everything set up quickly thereafter. By the time activity heats up next week, all the food and equipment will be ready to go.

The Rangers revealed their 2012 spring training broadcast schedule Tuesday, and it includes 10 games on ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM, 10 games on local television and 10 free audio webcasts at texasrangers.com.

The exhibition game against the Mexico City Red Devils on April 3 at Rangers Ballpark will be televised by TXA 21 and carried on ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM and 1540 AM ESPN Deportes, the team's Spanish flagship station.

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- One thing Rangers catcher Yorvit Torrealba picked up during those offseason video sessions in front of the television at his house was which pitches his new hurlers had in their repertoire, but didn't really want to throw.

"Spring training is the perfect time to work on those pitches and try to gain confidence," Torrealba said. "For a lot of the younger ones, it was the changeup."

So Torrealba came in to Surprise and decided he was going to do whatever he could to force some of the young Rangers pitchers to throw that change in games.

He saw on video that Derek Holland wasn't afraid to throw his fastball and slider, but didn't do much with the change.

"It was his third best pitch," Torrealba said. "But it's a good pitch for him too. He's thrown it well in bullpens and now we're making him throw it in games.

Torrealba did the same thing with Tommy Hunter the other night, forcing him to throw the pitch in some different counts to get a feel for it. Hunter was working on the changeup more in his session with live hitters on Thursday too.

"We've got guys with good fastballs and good movement on their breaking pitches," Torrealba said. "When you can change speeds and give them the changeup, it really fools you."

Michael Kirkman said he was a little surprised a few days ago to see Torrealba call the pitch to the third batter he faced. Improving the changeup was something Kirkman wanted to do this spring along with getting his curve ball working.

"But I thought, 'Why not? Let's throw the change here,'" Kirkman said. "If he feels the confidence to call it, I need to have the confidence to throw it."

Torrealba hasn't had many pitchers shake him off, even as he gets used to what they are throwing and how to best sequence it in the game. Part of that comes from the fact that Torrealba has tried to talk to his pitchers and get to know them. And the pitchers, especially the young ones, know he has been in the major leagues for a while catching good pitching staffs.

"I've been impressed by these guys," Torrealba said. "They are working hard and pitching well. Everyone is getting ready for the season and staying focused."

That includes the catcher.

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- In Rangers general manager Jon Daniels' mind, nothing much changes from a baseball operations standpoint with the news Friday of Chuck Greenberg's departure.

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"It really shouldn't have any impact," Daniels said. "Nothing changes as far as how we operate, organizational structure, budget. All of that remains the same. We're looking to keep our baseball management leadership group in place for an extended period of time. None of that changes."

Daniels said ever since the new ownership group took over, that he reported to Nolan Ryan. Now, what it means is that Ryan is the CEO and in charge of business and baseball operations. For Daniels, it doesn't alter things. He said if there was a big trade or a free agent he wanted to sign, that he would first talk to Ryan. Sometimes he also talked with Ryan and Greenberg at the same time or even made presentations to the club's board of directors (there's 13 of them led by Ray Davis and Bob Simpson) if needed.

Daniels said his relationship with Ryan is strong and expects that to remain the case. He's gotten to know some of the board members and is confident that while it may appear there's not stability with the Rangers, there is in terms of the baseball operations side and the folks making the decisions on the board.

Daniels said that Greenberg's dealings with Cliff Lee didn't impact where the free agent pitcher signed.

"Cliff had some very attractive options," Daniels said. "He made a choice that was best for him and his family."

Daniels said he wasn't concerned with whether Greenberg's trip to Arkansas and discussion of the Lee deal would send mixed signals about who was in charge of the club's baseball ops.

"We put our best foot forward and Cliff made a different decision," Daniels said.

Daniels said Greenberg's involvement was "about what you'd expect" from someone in that position.

"He was in the office and around sometimes when decisions were being made," Daniels said. "Some he had an opinion on, others he didn't. But ultimately, our group put our heads together and would make baseball decisions. When there were big investments, big dollars involved, that typically involves upper management and ownership to a degree."

Daniels didn't comment on the differing management styles between Greenberg, Daniels and others on staff. But that was something Greenberg brought up in the official club statement.

Daniels talked about the short offseason and getting used to new faces in place in various positions within the front office.

"You're talking about an offseason in which several new executives came on board on the business side," Daniels said. "It was a short offseason because of the playoffs. It was a different offseason because of the success the franchise had and some of the opportunities that were there. It was still evolving. People were still trying to find their comfort zone."

Daniels admitted that nothing much surprises him anymore with the Rangers after being with the club in various posts since 2002.

Daniels said the management structure and the Greenberg situation didn't factor into his negotiations for an extension. He dealt exclusively with Ryan during that process.

"We agreed on a deal and I can't say whether or not it had an impact on the timing of it, but from my standpoint it had no impact," Daniels said.

TEMPE, Ariz. -- We are now live! So join us as we discuss all things Rangers and start to get ready for the season (yes, we'll be chatting during games in 2011 like we did last year).

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus was scratched from today's lineup after complaining of a stiff back.

Assistant GM Thad Levine said Andrus went to the back fields to work out and said he could play, but manager Ron Washington didn't want to take any chances. He's listed as day-to-day. Andrus played in Scottsdale on Monday night.

Leury Garcia will take Andrus' place.

Other injury news:

* RHP Neftali Feliz (shin) is still on target to pitch Wednesday in Surprise in a Cactus League game as planned. He hasn't pitched since he was hit on the left shin by a line drive throwing live batting practice on Sunday.

* 3B Adrian Beltre (Grade 1 calf strain) took live batting practice and ran the bases on Tuesday as he continues to rehab the calf muscle. Beltre said his biggest issue right now is quick reactions. He did some jogging in cleats on Monday as well.

* RHP Tanner Scheppers will receive a root nerve injection on Wednesday to help alleviate the pain in the right side of his lower back. Scheppers has been taking anti-inflammatory medicine and said he's feeling better. By taking the injection, it will be another few days before he can work his way back onto a throwing schedule.

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Rangers pitcher Omar Beltre had spinal surgery Wednesday and could arrive in Surprise this weekend to begin his rehab. When he travels is dependent on how he feels. But he's six to eight weeks away from starting any sort of baseball activity.

Other injury notes:

* RHP Fabio Castillo (broken bone in left foot) will continue to throw off flat ground, but he is still wearing the boot at times during the day.

* LHP Miguel De Los Santos (biceps tendinitis) is scheduled to throw a bullpen session Friday.

* RHP Eric Hurley (left hamstring strain) could be on a mound Friday or Saturday for a bullpen session.

* OF Craig Gentry (broken right wrist) is still taking some light swings off a tee.

* RHP Brandon Webb was long-tossing this morning and was still out there when the clubhouse closed. We'll find out how he felt later today. The plan was for him to long toss again Friday and go light on Saturday before the club re-evaluated him. The earliest he could get on a mound is Sunday, weather permitting (there's talk of some rain that day).

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Manager Ron Washington talked about Michael Young at length this morning and you can read all about that here. We'll have plenty more on Young as the day goes along. But here are a few other notes from the clubhouse that don't pertain to Young:

* Washington reiterated that his starting outfield headed into camp is Josh Hamilton in left, Julio Borbon in center and Nelson Cruz in right. "We want to give Borbon a chance to win the center field job again," Washington said. The idea is to take "some of the stress" off Hamilton in the outfield and utilize Borbon's speed.

* Washington said David Murphy will get his at-bats and is an important part of that outfield. Mitch Moreland will also get some time in the outfield.

* Esteban German arrived for camp, ready to continue a productive offseason. He was pleased with the work he got done in the Dominican Republic this winter (he played winter ball there) and wants to apply those lessons in spring training. "I feel good and I'm ready to do whatever the team needs," German said. He gave Elvis Andrus a claw and the two hugged as he walked in.

* Borbon and Murphy are expected in camp today. Murphy's wife is pregnant and due any time, so his schedule could change.

* Music was blaring for the first time during spring training thanks to Andrus, who had some tunes on his phone that he shared with the rest of his teammates. It was more lively place today, for sure.

* Brandon Webb said the soreness was gone and he was planning on pushing things a little in long toss today. He remains on schedule to throw off a mound again Sunday.

* Mark Lowe took a large group of players and coaches out to a golf club where he's a member on Friday. Among the players were Arthur Rhodes, Tommy Hunter, Mason Tobin, Darren O'Day and Eric Hurley.

We finish up the infield with a look at a young player making quite an impact.

Today's position: Shortstop

Everyone associated with the Rangers wondered how Elvis Andrus would respond in 2010 after posting impressive enough numbers in his rookie campaign to earn a runner-up showing in the AL rookie of the year balloting. That 2009 season was proof that the Rangers were right in promoting Andrus to the majors despite never having played in Triple-A. It showed that shifting Michael Young to third base to make room for Andrus made the team better. And maybe the most important part about allowing Andrus to start at short in 2009 was that he'd have a year under his belt for 2010 when the Rangers' front office felt it's truly competitive window was just opening.

Andrus responded with a solid season. In fact, outside of not hitting a single home run in 2010 (I lost a bet with a buddy on that and still can't believe he didn't hit one ball out of the park), Andrus' numbers between 2010 and 2009 were pretty similar at the plate except for one major category: walks. Andrus had 24 more walks in 2010 (yes, he had a lot more plate appearances, but he still walked on average more frequently). That patience was important in getting Andrus' speed on the bases. He stole over 30 bases for the second straight season.

As for his ability in the field, it's fun to watch. Manager Ron Washington stressed that Andrus needed to continue to focus on the routine plays and limit his mistakes and the youngster improved on that in 2010. He has incredible range at short and has the skill to save runs and take hits away. He's a regular on the Top Plays of the Day on SportsCenter.

In 2010, Andrus began the season as the No. 9 hitter with Julio Borbon getting an oppportunity in the leadoff spot. But that was switched three weeks into the season as Borbon struggled. Andrus stayed there the rest of the season. He had an up-and-down summer, hitting .270 in June, .216 in July, .296 in August and .160 in September. And he had some baserunning issues, something the coaching staff and Andrus worked hard to clean up.

But when it mattered most in the postseason, Andrus was ready. He hit .294 in the playoffs (despite tailing off in the World Series like most of the Rangers offense) with eight stolen bases (in nine attempts), three doubles and four RBIs. Andrus made a memorable sprint home in the first inning of Game 5 in the ALDS. He singled, stole second and then scoured on Josh Hamilton's ground ball, setting the tempo on an aggressive baserunning game for the Rangers that helped them manufacture some runs for Cliff Lee in the victory.

Andrus is only 22 and clearly has a bright future. He understands he still has some maturing to do within the game and he's very coachable. He should only get better and better. The question the Rangers must ponder is when to give him a long-term deal so that he stays at shortstop for the Rangers for a long time.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Rangers announced today that pitchers and catchers will report on Feb. 16 to the club's spring training camp in Surprise, Arizona.

The first workout is Thursday, Feb. 17. Infiedlers and outfielders report on Saturday, Feb. 19 with the first full squad workout slated for Sunday, Feb. 20.

The Rangers take on Surprise Complex partner Kansas City in the first spring training game on Sunday, Feb. 27, at Surprise Stadium.

All workouts at the Surprise Complex are free and open to the public.

ESPN Dallas' Richard Durrett analyzes the Texas Rangers' newest players and the team's hopes as spring training gets underway in Surprise, Ariz.

Richard Durrett has escaped the chilly Metroplex, is basking in the Arizona sunshine and waiting for the Texas Rangers' pitchers and catchers to get to work Friday. But why wait until then to talk baseball? He'll conduct a live chat today at noon CT to answer all your questions surrounding the team. Click here to submit your questions early.