PITTSBURGH -- Though the Rangers have had to reassess the roles of a number of their pitchers due to early-season struggles, they’ve had no such problem with veteran reliever Shawn Kelley.
The 35-year-old has dashed out the gate with a run of success, posting a 1.29 ERA across 14 appearances. After his turnaround from 2017 (7.27 ERA) to 2018 (2.94 ERA), it’s not too surprising that Kelley has continued his progress. What is unique, though, is how he’s being used -- and how he’s responded to it.
Manager Chris Woodward, a former teammate of Kelley’s with the Mariners in 2009-10, has used the veteran as a closer in the ninth, given the early issues with last year’s closer, Jose Leclerc. He’s brought Kelley in as early as the fifth inning and as late as the 10th, though nearly half of his appearances have come in the seventh.
It’s not common for arguably the best reliever in a team’s bullpen to be content with not pitching the eighth or ninth, though Woodward said that Kelley is a top candidate for the team’s “interim closer.” But that mentality is not one Kelley holds -- he’s open for whatever.
“That’s rare,” Woodward said. “That’s really rare. I’ve been around this game a long time, and I’ve heard the grumblings from relievers I played with: ‘Ah, I can’t believe I pitched the seventh’ or ‘I can’t believe I’m pitching the eighth now.’
“But when you have one of your best relievers who basically says, ‘Just make sure you let me know if you’re thinking about using me earlier or later’ -- that’s all he wants is just a heads-up -- that’s huge.”
That makeup is part of the reason Woodward called Kelley “one of the better teammates” he ever had.
Beyond the obvious flexibility Woodward’s approach offers the Rangers, it’s extremely beneficial given the experience level throughout the organization. Woodward, pitching coach Julio Rangel and bullpen coach Oscar Marin are all working their first full Major League seasons.
And they’re doing it with a pitching staff that has and will continue to call up young talent for looks at the big league level. So beyond the words the veteran Kelley can offer, Woodward sees the reliever’s “selfless” role as an example for those newcomers.
“That tells the rest of the guys down there, if you want to be a good team guy, if you want to be a champion, if you want to win, some guys have to be willing to do those things at times.”
Lee named Rangers’ honorary bat girl
The Rangers are participating again in the annual Honorary Bat Girl program this year. The initiative, which received league-wide support in 2009, seeks to raise breast cancer awareness.
This year, the Rangers will honor Allison Lee of Frisco, Texas, as their honorary bat girl. Lee was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015, just three months after the same cancer was found in her mother. Lee completed eight rounds of chemotherapy and had a double mastectomy, and now both she and her mother are cancer-free.
“I am alive today because people before me recognized the importance of funding research to find better/more effective treatments for breast cancer,” Lee said in a personal statement.
The honorees are chosen for their “personal connection to breast cancer; demonstration of commitment to the battle through education, awareness, fundraising or additional efforts and awareness; and demonstration of substantial local community impact,” according to the program’s website.
Visit HonoraryBatGirl.com to see the list of honorees around the Majors and to learn more about the initiative.
Rangers beat
• Tuesday’s 5-4 loss at PNC Park marked the first time the Rangers had visited Pittsburgh since June 14, 2007. Only one player on either team’s roster that day remains active in the Major Leagues: Ian Kinsler (Padres).
• Ronald Guzman (right hamstring strain) was the designated hitter for Double-A Frisco on Monday, going 1-for-4 with a single. Guzman went 0-for-4 at first base for the RoughRiders on Tuesday, and he will likely rejoin the Rangers on Thursday in Houston.
• Sam Huff, the Rangers’ No. 21 prospect per MLB Pipeline, used his slugging tear with Class A Hickory to earn Uncle Ray’s Player of the Month honors across all 10 active Minor Leagues for the month of April. He led the Minors with 12 home runs during the span, and he posted a South Atlantic League-best 1.190 OPS, including an .825 slugging percentage.