Outfielder Marlon Byrd gave his surgically repaired left knee its most strenuous test of the spring, which is to say he gave it nary a thought while running from first to third on a lazy single.
It was the first time this spring Byrd has gone from first to third on a base hit, a sign his knee is no longer an issue. That was a significant stride. "I had been asking the doctor about it, and he said that I'll know when it's good because I will just run without thinking about it," said Byrd, who had surgery to repair a microfracture last fall after dealing with knee soreness all year. "That's what happened today. I saw the ball and just ran and never once thought about the knee. Now, having done that, it's a sign to me that I can run hard every time. That was the true test."
Byrd was playing in exhibitions the first week of games but hasn't been able to run at full speed. Last week, he estimated that he was at about 80-85 percent, but he has made big strides lately.
The improvement in the knee is also showing up in his swing. Byrd went into last weekend with an eight-game hitting streak. During the streak, he was 11-for-23. He also had 10 RBI in that stretch.
"His knee is getting much better each time," manager Ron Washington said. "He ran very well today, and he's swinging the bat much better."
Byrd's recovery all but killed any chance outfielder Andruw Jones had of winning a spot on the Opening Day roster. While Byrd has surged, Jones did not start an "A" game in more than a week. Jones elected to stick with the Rangers at least until March 23 on a minor league deal rather than elect free agency, as his contract would have allowed him to do. The Rangers have told Jones he will not make the Opening Day roster.
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