ARLINGTON -- Rangers reliever Matt Bush admitted the inevitable Tuesday. He is not expected to pitch again this season.
Bush has been sidelined since June 13 with a strained flexor tendon and has not yet been able to throw off a mound. He has been limited to throwing long toss.
"I'm taking it easy and following the plan," Bush said. "That's all I can do. I'd like to be in the game, it's tough not being out there. But I have to stick with the plan. I had Tommy John [surgery] in the past [2007] and we are just being smart about it."
The injury goes back to Spring Training and has just not gone away. Bush said he had tightness and discomfort in the spring when he was being converted into a starter and didn't think anything about it.
"I definitely threw a lot more in the offseason and I threw more in the bullpen," Bush said.
Bush said he didn't feel right mechanically in Spring Training and felt the best way to work through that was to throw even more. That may have been a mistake.
"I just continued to throw and throw, trying to get locked in," Bush said. "It started getting into my head, trying to find things and I was getting frustrated not getting the results I had in the past. It was frustrating. I wanted to get it right and it wasn't happening for me."
Bush began the season in the bullpen, but was sent to Triple-A Round Rock on April 25 with a 3.97 ERA. He was recalled on May 21, but had a 5.40 ERA in eight appearances before going on the disabled list.
"I went into the offseason healthy and I went into Spring Training healthy," Bush said. "It was just getting too risky to pitch, especially with the MRI showing I had a strain in the flexor."
Reliever Tony Barnette is on the disabled list with a strained lat muscle, but he is still hoping to pitch in September. He is farther along than Bush in his throwing program.
DeShields assigned to Double A 
Outfielder Delino DeShields, who is on the disabled list with a fractured tip of the right middle finger, has been assigned to Double-A Frisco on medical rehabilitation assignment.
DeShields, who hasn't played since Aug. 16, is hoping to be ready to come off the DL on Saturday when the rosters are expanded for September.
"I feel good," DeShields said. "I really pushed it the last weekend to see where I am at."
Ryan Rua, sidelined with stiffness in his back, is also on a rehab assignment at Frisco and could be activated Saturday as well.
Rangers beat
• The Rangers are undecided beyond Friday as far as their starting pitching plans. Mike Minor is scheduled to pitch Wednesday against the Dodgers and Andrew Hutchison is going Friday against the Twins. Martin Perez and Yovani Gallardo are in line to pitch Saturday and Sunday, but the Rangers could bring Bartolo Colon back off the disabled list.
• The Rangers are discussing potential September callups. Outfielder Willie Calhoun is expected to be recalled once Round Rock's season ends on Sunday. Yohander Mendez is another possibility. Mendez left Tuesday's start after two innings after getting hit in the upper left arm with a line drive. The Rangers don't believe it is a serious injury. He is expected to get one more start at Triple-A.
• The Rangers are also considering veteran right-hander Chris Tillman, who was signed to a Minor League contract on Aug. 2. But he has been limited to just three starts at Round Rock because of a leg injury and has a 12.60 ERA.