Rangers send down Scheppers, call up Claudio

ARLINGTON -- The Rangers have decided would-be setup man Tanner Scheppers needs some time at Triple-A after four rocky innings in the Majors this season since returning from a sprained ankle he suffered in Spring Training.

Scheppers has an 11.25 ERA in five outings, having walked four and and allowed six hits in four innings. He was optioned to Triple-A Round Rock on Monday and lefty Alex Claudio took his place in the Rangers' bullpen.

"I don't foresee this as being a long-term deal," Rangers manager Jeff Banister said of Scheppers' demotion. "Tanner will be and is one of the best we have. But you need to have some consistency and sometimes you have a couple things you might need to work on, it's better to work at a level that you can slow it down a little bit."

Last season the Rangers tried to make a starter out of Scheppers, but he only made four starts and wound up with a 9.00 ERA in 23 innings. He dealt with right elbow inflammation for much of 2014.

The addition of Claudio gives the Rangers a left-hander in the bullpen for the first time this season. In 9 2/3 innings and six appearances for Round Rock this year, Claudio is 1-0 with a 1.86 ERA, one walk and six strikeouts.

Worth noting

Banister said he is not one of those managers who only prefers to use his closer for one inning, as evidenced by Neftali Feliz's two-inning appearance on Sunday in Anaheim, where Feliz earned the win with strikeouts.

"He's supposed to be the best out there, I feel like he's the best. He's big, he's strong, he's physical -- he'll let me know when he can or can't throw and I'll trust that."

Carlos Peguero was slated to bat in the No. 2 hole Monday against the Mariners, despite going hitless in his last 12 at-bats dating back to April 15. Peguero came up with the Mariners and hit .195 in 65 games with Seattle from 2011-13.