Hearn passes first test in rotation bid

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Although Taylor Hearn is willing to fill whatever role the Rangers need, he has no doubt that he wants to be in the rotation.

In the Rangers' 7-6 Cactus League win over the D-backs on Saturday, Hearn showed that he has what it takes to be a starter, pitching two hitless innings with a strikeout and a walk.

“[I feel like a] totally different person, if you ask me,” Hearn said. “A lot of stuff I worked on this offseason, with just mechanical and pitch design and everything like that to try to make it better. My biggest goal is to try to be a different guy and to get better, for sure.”

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Manager Chris Woodward said the Rangers plan to build Hearn up as a starter, even if they don’t use him like that throughout the entire 2021 season. Woodward thinks they’re not yet in a position to extend Hearn for too many innings.

“We're gonna kind of take it slow with him, but I think eventually, I see that he's got stuff enough to be a traditional starter,” Woodward said. “I think how we use [young pitchers] in the beginning will probably be in shorter stints regardless. It's basically going to be determined on how he pitches and how he holds his stuff.”

The biggest question mark for Hearn, according to Woodward, is if the left-hander can command the strike zone on a consistent basis and limit his pitch count. Woodward noted that was one thing they saw Hearn improve on throughout the 2020 season, especially with his fastball and slider.

Hearn felt he could’ve gone another inning or two Saturday, since he only threw 26 pitches (17 strikes). He threw five straight balls to start the second inning before reining in his command and retiring the final three batters of his outing. Hearn said he got into his own head too much after one of the calls, but Woodward credited the pitcher's poise following the walk.

“It's pretty dominant now that nobody really squared him up or got off the barrel, and a lot were fly balls and easy outs,” Woodward said. “And then he finished off the last guy. It was just a really good outing for him. Especially after the leadoff walk to settle in and get those last three guys.”

Woodward had floated the idea of a six-man rotation early in the spring due to the lack of innings pitchers threw in the shortened 2020 season. With a week of Cactus League games down, he came to the conclusion that a six-man rotation would limit the bullpen in the long run and the Rangers would keep a traditional five-man rotation.

Multiple young left-handed pitchers, like Hearn and Wes Benjamin, could be considered for spots in the rotation or potential piggyback situations. Woodward said he would do two of those piggybacks at most.

“They all fit the mold of what we kind of need, especially from the bullpen," Woodward said. “If we're gonna do a piggyback situation they obviously fit well, especially if you match them up a certain way. You got the big tall lefty or side this way ready. It's a lot of a strategic advantage for us.”

Kyle Gibson, Mike Foltynewicz and Kohei Arihara are all but locked in for the starting rotation come Opening Day. The other two spots are up from grabs.

Odor, Solak making strides at new infield positions
The coaching staff made plenty of infield changes in the offseason. A big one included telling longtime second baseman Rougned Odor he would not be guaranteed his position, giving Nick Solak -- a second-round pick by the Yankees in the 2016 Draft -- the chance to win the second-base job.

Solak has primarily been used as a utility man in his two seasons with the Rangers, appearing in 36 career games in the outfield and 34 in the infield. He said focusing on one position helps his overall game. Solak played second base in college at Louisville and throughout most of his Minor League career before switching to a more versatile role.

“I'm feeling comfortable out there,” Solak said. “I prepared there all offseason. Now, I’m getting my work in and focusing on the things I need to focus on. I know the things that I need to work on, the things that I'm good at and the things that I can improve on.”

In turn, Odor is battling for the starting third base spot along with non-roster invitees Brock Holt and Charlie Culberson.

Odor spent Saturday’s game proving he deserves a spot on the roster. He went 1-for-2 at the plate, with a two-out, two-RBI double that hit off the center-field wall. Defensively, he made multiple plays from third base -- including a diving stop to get an out at first -- as he continues to get used to his new position.

“[Playing third] is not as hard if he's committed to it,” Woodward said. “I think he's got the skill set to be a third baseman. He's got a skill set, definitely, to play second, but he's got the hands and the footwork and the arm strength to play third base.

“I don't think it's as hard for him as it may be for some other guys. I think it's just a matter of getting him a ton of reps in practice and work and some live reps and getting him as much action as possible.”