Rangers’ Derek Holland will make season debut this week
By Hayden Kane
The Texas Rangers have been in the mode of thinking about next season for a while now. It is with that in mind that they will get starting pitcher Derek Holland back in the rotation for the rest of the season starting on Tuesday.
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With these games meaning nothing in the standings, save for the Rangers’ “pursuit” of the top pick in next year’s MLB Amateur Draft, it is quite valuable for the Rangers to get Holland on the mound and let him work out the kinks of his first few starts back from a knee injury now rather than at the start of next season.
Calvin Watkins of ESPN Dallas reported the news about Holland:
"He will make his season debut Tuesday in Kansas City.Holland did some fielding drills and threw a bullpen session prior to Saturday’s game.“I got to work on it,” Holland said in regards to his fielding. “Just because I’m [with the big club] doesn’t mean I can’t stop doing anything. Once the season ends, it’s back to square one. Yeah, I feel great, no issues at all.”"
Holland went 10-9 in the 2013 season in 33 starts. He posted a 3.42 ERA over the course of 213 innings while striking out 189 hitters. It was a career year for the 27-year-old lefty, which made it all the more difficult to take when he learned that most of his 2014 season would be lost to rehab.
When he takes the mound Tuesday, Holland will be pitching for 2015 when he and the Rangers can have a fresh start.