Texas Rangers: Tyson Ross Upbeat After Bullpen Session

The road back to the Major Leagues might not be as long as some thought for pitcher Tyson Ross. He threw a simulated game on Monday, and is upbeat about his return.

It’s been difficult for the Texas Rangers without All-Star lefty Cole Hamels. The bullpen has continued to be a let down, but the good news is that Tyson Ross is headed in the right direction after Monday’s pitching session.

Ross continues to rehab from thoracic outlet syndrome shoulder surgery and back spasms. He threw a simulated game to Nomar Mazara, Rougned Odor, and Ryan Rua. It was positive as Ross threw 30 pitches over two innings. According to Jay Paris, Ross had this to say about his outing on Monday.

“Today was definitely encouraging as far as how I felt physically and how I was able to move the baseball around,” he said. “It’s another good step for me.”

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The Rangers have not announced the next step in the process, but this is encouraging. In 2016, Ross started just one game with the Padres, and is upbeat about his future. The 30-year-old could be back faster than the Rangers thought.

Over the off-season Ross signed a one-year deal worth $6 million with the Rangers. He could be an important piece to helping the Rangers turn around their season.

In other news, the Rangers have lost another pitcher to the injury bug. Relief pitcher Jose Leclerc has been put on the 10-day disabled list. Luckily for Texas he’s just dealing with a strained index finger, and it should be a minor stint.

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The Rangers have recalled lefty Dario Alvarez from Triple-A Round Rock to replace Leclerc. It will likely be a few weeks before he can even consider a Ross debut, but this is mostly good news.