Texas Rangers: Andrew Cashner Shut Down with Biceps Issue
The Texas Rangers took a chance on Andrew Cashner, signing him to a one-year, $10 million deal. Cashner is already struggling to show his value to the team.
Andrew Cashner suffered a setback with the soreness in his right biceps, and it now appears that he won’t be ready for Opening Day, according to the Star-Telegram. He has now been shut down for at least a couple of days and will be re-evaulated after he receives an MRI. The soreness started to bother Cashner last week, and the initial MRI showed nothing. He continued to throw at 120 feet and reported no issues until yesterday.
The injury opens up the opportunity for other pitchers to fight for the fifth spot in the Texas Rangers starting rotation. Chi Chi Gonzalez, Mike Hauschild and A.J. Griffin will all be potential fifth starters for the Rangers when the season begins.
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Cashner, 30, struggled between the San Diego Padres and Miami Marlins last season. In 132 innings pitched, Cashner posted a 5-11 record with a 5.25 ERA. Control was a huge issue after he was traded to the Marlins, as he walked over five batters per nine innings. Due to his struggles, the Marlins decided to let Cashner walk, and now the Rangers have taken a one-year flyer on the 6-foot-6 right-hander.
The Rangers starting rotation was very mediocre last season, posting a 4.38 ERA on the year. That ERA ranked the Rangers 16th in baseball and ninth in the American League. They also ranked 11th in baseball in the amount of innings they received out of their starting rotation. In summary, the Rangers will need more out of their starting rotation this year, and the Cashner injury is not going to help improve this staff.
In his career, Cashner has a 31-53 record with a 3.89 ERA between three teams. In 726.1 innings pitched, Cashner has struck out 608 batters while walking 255.
The Rangers will need to get a lot out of Cashner in order to make a deep playoff run this year. Cashner has been terrific at times during his career but has struggled since 2014. During the 2014 season, Cashner finished with a 5-7 record while posting a 2.55 ERA. The reason Cashner was so successful in 2014 was his control, as he posted the best BB/9 of his career at 2.1.
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The key for success this season, other than health, will be the control that he has on the mound. Cashner will be a name to watch this season as he looks to bounce back.