SEATTLE -- Andrew Cashner will make his Rangers debut when the right-hander gets the start in Saturday's game against the Mariners.
Texas manager Jeff Banister confirmed as much before Friday's game, although he wouldn't say what roster move would correspond with Cashner's activation from the disabled list. Cashner, who signed with the Rangers as a free agent in November, had been at extended Spring Training in Arizona rehabbing from soreness in his right biceps.
"We feel like he's healthy," Banister said. "We feel like he's ready. He's put in the work, the effort. [In] his rehab starts … his stuff has been sharp, and his bullpen sessions and daily program, he's come out healthy."
Banister said Cashner would be ready to hit a threshold of 95-100 pitches and that he was excited to see what Cashner can do for the Rangers' rotation. Cashner, a 30-year-old native of Conroe, Texas, is a notorious hard-thrower who has a career 3.89 ERA over parts of seven big-league seasons.
"It's a good fastball," Banister said. "He can work both edges of the plate. There is sink life to the fastball, some running life to the fastball, a swing-and-miss breaking ball. He can work the vertical game, too … the up-and-down game."
To activate Cashner, the Rangers will have to send a player down to the Minor Leagues, and given Friday's development with reliever Matt Bush, it appears that it might be Nick Martinez rather than Bush.
Bush, who has not been available for the last three games because of soreness in the AC joint of his right shoulder, played catch from about 90 feet before Friday's game at Safeco Field and was slated to pitch a bullpen session on Saturday. This comes after he received a cortisone injection in the shoulder on Wedensday.
"Each day after the injection, in that AC joint, it gets better," said Bush, who first experienced this injury while lifting weights two years ago and felt it again before last year's postseason, warranting an injection then.
"I have the little bit of soreness left over from the shot but other than that it feels normal. … It feels good to know that's exactly what it is and it's just a matter of in that joint the bones are kind of grinding."
Given the fact that Bush had the flare-up last year and it has happened again within the first 10 games of the season, it's apparent that it could be a lingering concern.
"I think it's something that we're going to have to be aware of throughout the year," Banister said.