Why did the Rangers not call up Matt Bush instead of Brandon Mann?
-- Carl K., Dallas
Same situation with Willie Calhoun and his outfield defense. The Rangers have some things they want Bush to work on, and they are going to give him the time to do so. Remember, Bush came up two years ago with relatively little Minor League experience, and he did well on the force of his sheer talent. It is time now for some refinements, because Texas still expects Bush to be an impact late-inning reliever again.
What happens to the rotation when Martin Perez gets back? Are they going to go with a six-man rotation?
-- Charlie F., Fort Worth
Perez is going to be awhile. He may not even be back until the All-Star break. Perez, after suffering a broken radial bone in his right (non-throwing) elbow in the offseason, gave it everything he had to be ready by Opening Day. He came close, and now the right arm is bothering him again. Perez is determined to make sure his elbow is 100 percent before he gets back on the mound. After that, he will need at least three or four starts in the Minor Leagues before he is ready. The Rangers aren't in a position where they need to rush him back.
I think it is time for the Rangers to break the bank and go for Bryce Harper and one of the top four free-agent pitchers during the next offseason. What do you think?
-- Doug I. Humphries, Texas
If the Rangers have the money to sign Harper, they probably need to use it instead to sign two or three of the top starting pitchers on the free-agent market. With or without Harper, they are going to be back in the same situation they were last offseason regarding their rotation, and signing just one guy isn't going to be enough.
:: Submit a question to the Rangers Inbox ::
How much longer will we see Matt Moore pitching before we might see a a possible callup for someone like Yovani Gallardo?
-- Steven A. San Fernando, Calif.
Moore needs to pitch better, and he needs to do it much sooner than later. He is a free agent after the season, and the Rangers aren't going to wait too much longer if no long-term benefit can be derived from it. Gallardo isn't the same pitcher he once was, and he hasn't been lighting it up at Triple-A Round Rock yet. Texas' better options would be bringing Jesse Chavez out of the bullpen or calling up Austin Bibens-Dirkx from Triple-A. Bibens-Dirkx has shown the ability to pitch up here and throw strikes.
If the Rangers are sellers at the Trade Deadline, do you think Bartolo Colon gets traded if he's still doing well? At 44 and maybe with a couple years left, Colon will no doubt want to play for a contender.
-- Ken G. Aubrey, Texas
Colon, 44, had a 1.45 ERA in his first four outings and held opponents to a .177 batting average. He is 1-1 with a 4.74 in his past four starts, so it will be interesting to see what kind of staying power he has in the Rangers' rotation. Look, if Texas is out of it in July, there aren't going to be many untouchables on this roster beyond Nomar Mazara and maybe Delino DeShields.
I remember seeing infielder Kole Enright as one of the top prospects last year what happen to him? He's not even in the Top 30 this year.
-- Travis H. Benbrook, Texas
Enright was a third-round pick out of high school in 2016, and he started off strong by hitting .313 in the Rookie-level Arizona League that year. That league is filled with kids just out of high school or young international players. He dropped to .233 last year with Class A Spokane in the Northwest League, where you are often facing pitchers right out of college. It's not unusual for younger players to struggle in that league. Enright is off to a better start at Class A Hickory, and he has a good chance to regain prospect status.