Colby Lewis: Healthy but Ineffective

July 18, 2012; Oakland, CA, USA; Texas Rangers starting pitcher Colby Lewis (48) pitches during the second inning against the Oakland Athletics at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports

As Texas Rangers fans, we all want Colby Lewis to perform at his best and win a spot in the rotation, but that is just not happening for the 34-year-old right-handed pitcher. Colby has only managed 4.0 innings so far in spring training, and those innings have not gone well at all for him. He has walked 6, hit one batter, given up 8 hits, allowed 8 runs, has an ERA of 18.00 and is allowing opponents to hit a staggering .444 against him. Colby Lewis is an extremely likeable guy, he is a veteran who could really be an asset to the young players on the Texas Rangers roster, but the Rangers can’t justify putting him on the team at this point. So what is going wrong with Colby Lewis?

"“I’ve got to get outs,” said Lewis after the Seattle game. “If I don’t get outs, it’s not very fair for me to make the ballclub over other guys. Even when I was on the roster, I always felt I had to get outs and prove myself. Hopefully I’ll get a couple of more outings to prove myself.” MLB.com"

Colby Lewis is right. If he cannot get outs, then he shouldn’t be on the roster, and I am a big fan of him. He has the huge responsibility of proving that he can still do it in his next outing to have any shot at all of making this team, and it is getting tougher for him with pitchers like Tommy Hanson, Tanner Scheppers and Robbie Ross pitching so well and the fact that Matt Harrison will be back within a couple of weeks. I think it would be best at this point to let Lewis start in the minors and see what he has left in the tank. It is tough to remember sometimes that no player has ever played after having the hip surgery that Colby Lewis had, and that is a big concern for the Texas Rangers.

Will Colby Lewis make the Rangers? I am not thinking so at this point to start the season, but if he can prove at Round Rock that he still has something to offer, then he has a great shot of getting back into the mix later on in the season. The way this spring training is going, the more healthy bodies the better. Colby Lewis still has something to prove, and I think he is out to prove it. I am pulling for him, how about you?