Texas Rangers Spring Training Opener

SURPRISE, ARIZ. — The wait is finally over. Today fans across Rangers Nation finally get their wish – Texas Rangers baseball is back.

The Texas Rangers will get to show off their renewed love for the game. We get to see a much healthier squad (no jinx, no jinx, no jinx), although there are a few players with minor injuries, if you can even call them that.

Derek Holland dealt with shoulder soreness on Sunday and did not pitch in the scrimmage game. However, Holland was back playing catch on Monday and it’s unlikely he will pitch this week. But still, soreness does not equate to injury, at least not in my book.

Elvis Andrus left Sunday’s intra-squad game early due to soreness in his left. Andrus met with Texas Rangers’ physician Dr. Keith Meister who does not think this is something to cause concern. He will not play in today’s game against the Kansas City Royals.

The Texas Rangers shut down left-handed relief pitcher Michael Kirkman the first week of camp due to an impinged shoulder. Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reported Kirkman could throw off the mound as early as today.

Since all of these injuries seem to add up to nothing more than the players’ bodies getting back to physical activity I find it difficult to keep referring to them as injuries.

Now, back to the first game of Spring Training. Here are the lineups for today’s game:

TEXAS RANGERS: RHP Colby Lewis

1. Leonys Martin CF
2. Shin-Soo Choo RF
3. Adrian Beltre 3B
4. Prince Fielder 1B
5. Ryan Ludwick DH
6. Ryan Rua LF
7. Rougned Odor 2B
8. Carlos Corporan C
9. Hanser Alberto SS

KANSAS CITY ROYALS: RHP Aaron Brooks

1. Alcides Escobar SS
2. Jarrod Dyson LF
3. Lorenzo Cain CF
4. Eric Hosmer 1B
5. Kendrys Morales DH
6. Alex Rios RF
7. Mike Moustakas 3B
8. Erik Kratz C
9. Christian Colon 2B

Watching the first pitch of spring, seeing my Twitter timeline once again filled with once again happy baseball fans, made me realize one thing – this has been one VERY LONG winter.

OK, maybe more than one thing. I wanted to fill this page with all the cliches that come with the start of spring training: new beginnings, crack of the bat, the smells, sounds, sights, etc…

You get the point.

Instead, I decided to write an invitation. I am inviting all of you to join us in discussing the good, the bad, the ups and downs, and everything in between over the course of 162+ games played by our favorite team – the Texas Rangers.

There is a reason why we are a FanSided site. We are a site run by driven and passionate Rangers and baseball fans who get to share our love, sometimes our anger and disappointment, every day with readers.

We couldn’t do it without you. We want to make this a place where all Texas Rangers fans can gather and talk baseball. We won’t always agree on things, but that’s what is unique about baseball and baseball fans. We don’t have to. But, we’ll always come together and support other fans.

We appreciate the game. We respect the game. We love the game.

Next: Top Prospects in the AL West

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