Injury and roster updates

T.R. Sullivan has some updates on some injured players...

C.J. Wilson threw in a minor league spring training game on Monday, and is apparently on track to start a rehab stint in Frisco on Thursday and pitch an inning in that day's game.  Maybe Chris and Ben will heckle him together...

Anyway, depending on how that goes, Wilson could be activated and join the bullpen fairly soon thereafter.  

GMJ is going to start a rehab assignment with Oklahoma on Thursday, and apparently will DH initially.  If that goes well, it sounds like he'll be in position to return in late April, with the Rangers then having to decide whether to drop Adrian Brown or D'Angelo Jimenez from the 25 man roster.

Erasmo Ramirez has not been placed on waivers, as teams have indicated some interest in trading for him.  Ramirez was DFA'd, which gave the Rangers 10 days to put him on waivers, trade him, or release him, and if there really is trade interest out there, it seems unlikely that he'd clear waivers.  So I'd expect to see him traded for a fringe prospect in a couple of days.

Finally, Robinson Tejeda is supposed to start for Oklahoma on Thursday, and Sullivan says that if all goes well in that outing, he may be called up to join the rotation in time for the 5th starter's second start.

One of the things that Daniels may look to do this season, particularly with Fabio Castro on the roster, is expand his pitching staff by bouncing guys up and down between AAA and the majors.  With Tejeda, Wilson, Dickey, Koronka, and Feldman all eligible to be optioned, the Rangers could conceivably opt to, for example, send Koronka to AAA and activate Wilson after Koronka's start; option Feldman to AAA to make room for Tejeda; and then later in the month, option Tejeda back to the minors if the Rangers won't be needing a 5th starter for a bit, and bring Feldman back.  

That sort of creativity could allow the Rangers to avoid wiping out their bullpen if they end up having to use some guys out there for a bunch of innings.