Rehabbing reliever Bard to pitch in games

ARLINGTON -- The Rangers have transferred pitcher Daniel Bard from extended spring training to Class A Hickory. Bard is the former Red Sox setup reliever who underwent surgery on Jan. 2 to relieve symptoms of thoracic outlet syndrome. He had a rib bone removed that was causing problems in his right arm.

The Rangers signed him to a Minor League contract and he has been doing his work in Surprise, Ariz. Now he will start pitching in games.

"His velocity has been 94-97 mph, and in his last outing in Arizona he showed improved consistency with his command," Rangers pitching coordinator Danny Clark said. "We're excited to see him under the lights. We should no more after he gets 2-3 outings under his belt."

Bard was the 28th-overall pick for the Red Sox in 2006 out of the University of North Carolina. He was in Boston's bullpen from 2009-11, with a record of 5-13 but with a 2.88 ERA and an opponents batting average of .190. He also struck out 213 in 197 innings. The Red Sox tried to turn him into a starter in 2012, and that's when he started having the physical issues that led to Tommy John elbow reconstruction surgery.