ARLINGTON -- Rangers pitcher Edinson Vólquez completed his quest on Sunday afternoon at Globe Life Park.

Volquez made it back to the big leagues five months after going on the injured list with a sprained right elbow. Volquez was one of seven relievers used by the Rangers in an 11-3 loss to the Mariners, and he and Jeffrey Springs -- pitching for the first time since June 16 -- were the only two to not allow a run.

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“Yeah, it was good to see him back out there,” Rangers manager Chris Woodward said. “He tells us every time he’s in the clubhouse, 'Use me, I’m ready,' and he’s been saying that for a while, so it was actually nice to see him get back out there. I think everybody was happy to see his arm, see that windup that we all know and love, just see him kind of enjoying the game.”

Volquez, who has already said this will be his final season, took over in the seventh and pitched for the first time since April 4. He could have just walked away from baseball, but he was willing to go through almost five months of rehabilitation just for the chance to finish his career on an active roster.

The Rangers were trailing 7-3 into the seventh when Volquez came out throwing around 95 mph, topping out at 97. He walked Dylan Moore to start the inning, but he got Dee Gordon to ground into a double play before striking out Braden Bishop to end the frame.

“I can’t tell you about my future, but I can tell you about today,” Volquez said. “It was good. Good inning, walked the first guy, made a good pitch to get the double play, struck out the next guy.”

Not bad for a guy who started just two games for the Rangers before going on the injured list. Volquez also had to sit out all of last season while recovering from his second Tommy John surgery.

“I wasn’t surprised,” Woodward said. “I had seen all the reports and he definitely told me as well, so I knew he was still throwing hard. We saw it in Spring Training. When he went down, I think that was more of just a muscular thing. I think the ligament is what it is. As long as he can tolerate that ... I guess muscular discomfort at times, and if that’s the only thing that’s going to injure him, he should be fine. So yeah, we’ll see what it looks like at the end of September.”

Volquez said he felt some emotions going through him when he started warming up, but that went away when he took the mound.

“Once in the game, I was already hot and I was ready to pitch,” Volquez said. “I didn’t think about anything else. I was just trying to get three outs.”

When Volquez first injured the elbow in April, there were concerns he might have torn the ulnar collateral ligament again. If so, Volquez said he would retire rather than go through another Tommy John surgery. Once he found out it was just an elbow sprain, Volquez made the decision to rehab the elbow and be able to pitch again in September.

“I want to pitch, I want to prove to a lot of people that I can still do it,” Volquez said. “And look where I am right now? I’m back in the big leagues. Everybody thought I was done, with my arm, my age. I think I made the right choice to go to the Minor Leagues and get ready to pitch in the big leagues.”

Volquez, 36, is not done yet. He said he still intends to retire at the end of the season, but the Rangers plan to use him as needed in September. His next assignment could be as the opener on Tuesday against the Yankees in Yankee Stadium.

“As long as I’m still healthy and can help the team and the young guys here, I think I’ll be good,” Volquez said. “I want to stay with those guys the rest of the season. They can learn something by watching me pitch.”

And then after that? Maybe a chat with president of baseball operations and general manager Jon Daniels?

“I don’t know,” Volquez said. “I want to retire no matter what, but maybe JD wants to sign me? So who knows? In my mind right now is just to stay home, it doesn’t matter what happens here.”

Said Woodward, “I guess it’s his choice to make. It’s still coming out pretty good.”