Rangers being conservative with Barnette

ARLINGTON — The Rangers may be without right-hander Tony Barnette, who is dealing with a strained left oblique, until the final week of the season. But that doesn’t mean he has had any setbacks in his recovery.

With the postseason creeping closer, and the Rangers’ lead in the American League West at 8 1/2 games entering Friday’s series opener with the A’s, the team is taking a conservative approach with one of its most prominent middle relievers.

“Obviously, if he’s healthy, he feels good and the ball is coming out of his hand well, we’d love to see him in some Major League games,” manager Jeff Banister said. “Just to know what we’ve got, see where he’s at and his feel for the baseball. Right now I don’t expect him, or think that he would be back until probably that last week.”

Barnette threw 15 pitches off flat ground on Friday and said he “let it go” when playing catch from about 90 feet. The next step in his recovery will be throwing off a mound, a step he believes isn’t too far off.

Barnette has not pitched since injuring the oblique on Sept. 4, on the follow-through of a pitch to Houston’s Jose Altuve.

“I’ve just got to keep pushing on with the progress, keep pushing it and testing it day by day,” Barnette said. “I think it’s the proper amount of precautions. For me, things are going well and are moving in the right …

continue reading in source mlb.mlb.com