Texas Rangers: No surprise Tim Lincecum’s not ready for Opening Day
It seems that Tim Lincecum is not going to be active for the Texas Rangers on Opening Day. The two-time Cy Young Award winner, three-time World Series Champion, and 2010 World Series Most Valuable Player has yet to shake off the rust.
The Texas Rangers signed Lincecum to a one-year deal earlier this month. The once very dominant pitcher is past his prime and it honestly doesn’t look like he’s got anything left. However, he truly begs to differ and he intends to prove he’s still got what it takes to play at the major league level.
It’s no surprise Lincecum isn’t going to be ready. Apparently, he’s beginning the season on the disabled list. According to T.R. Sullivan, Lincecum has a finger injury.
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Truth be told, even if he was 100 percent healthy, it would be wise for him to not start the season in Arlington. Because he started spring training late, he hasn’t had enough time find his groove. The last thing he needs to do is to rush himself because that’s a quick way for him to fall apart. He needs to take his time.
It’s believed that Lincecum was brought in to compete for the closing role. For him to pitch in the bullpen is ideal. At this point in his career, it’s likely that his days of starting games are well behind him. Even if he was to start, we wouldn’t expect him to do what he did in a San Francisco Giants uniform. As said before, he’s past his prime.
Opening Day is less than a week away. It’s unclear how much Lincecum will miss, though it’s probably maybe a couple of weeks.
The Texas Rangers ought to activate him when he’s 100 percent. As said earlier, the last thing both the Rangers and Lincecum need is to be rushed. It never works out that way.