When asked if he’s ready for his first MLB season, Kohei Arihara didn’t hesitate to answer: “Yep, I’m ready.”

The Rangers signed the right-handed Arihara from Japan this past winter and he’ll slot into the front end of the starting rotation to start the 2021 season. In his final Cactus League start against the Cubs on Sunday, he went five innings, giving up three runs on five hits with six strikeouts in Texas’ 12-8 victory.

“I thought he was really good today, especially for the first three innings,” manager Chris Woodward said. “That's about as good as I've seen him. His velo ticked up, his stuff was sharp -- he dominated for three innings. He got a little bit tired, I think, in the fourth and fifth, but the cool thing was the last couple hitters, he really pushed through it and you can see he had something left in the tank to kind of reach down and grab a little more.”

A Joc Pederson home run was the first blemish in Arihara's outing. He faced the minimum through three innings before giving up a double to Ian Happ followed by the two-run homer in the fourth. Arihara said he thought it was a smooth outing overall, and he just missed his spot on the home run. He emphasized that he hopes to minimize those types of mistakes in the regular season.

Arihara, who wasn’t typically a high-strikeout pitcher in Japan, got six strikeouts against the Cubs. He averaged 6.8 strikeouts per nine innings over six seasons in Japan. Against Chicago, he was able to incorporate his high fastball and locate his pitches a lot better than his last few outings. He also really focused on throwing first-pitch strikes and getting ahead in the count early.

Arihara also praised catcher Jonah Heim for how well he called the game behind the plate.

Arihara said that Spring Training has given him a better feel for everything in the Major Leagues and he is confident heading into the season. He gave up Pederson's home run on a four-seam fastball that missed its spot, but Arihara is still confident in his ability to use that pitch, as well as his two-seamer, effectively in the regular season.

“I definitely would like to incorporate the high fastball, as I did today,” Arihara said. “It also works really well to change the eye-level of the batter to mix in some breaking balls, as well.”

García fights to make the team
Adolis García isn’t on the Rangers' 40-man roster, but he’s making sure his name is going to be considered for it.

With Khris Davis out to start the season with a left quad strain and Willie Calhoun still dealing with a groin strain, the Rangers are left looking for answers at designated hitter. García could be the solution.

He’s been one of Texas' best hitters this spring, with a .414 batting average and a 1.286 OPS. He went 1-for-2 against the Cubs with a walk and an RBI double before stealing third base and scoring a run of his own on an Anderson Tejeda base hit.

While García has struck out eight times through 29 at-bats this spring, Woodward has been confident in the 28-year-old's approach at the plate.

“He just continues to impress, honestly,” Woodward said. “He’s playing good defense, running the bases, feeling good again. Regardless of what happens, I think we're really excited about him, and I've praised him on that. If he doesn't make the roster, then he knows that he's waiting in the wings. It's just a matter of time before he gets back to us.”