--The Rangers will have to make a roster move Friday in order to add RHP Luis Mendoza to the roster. Mendoza will serve as long-relief insurance in case RHP Dustin Nippert, the spot starter, runs into early trouble against the Angels. While they have balked at the idea previously, the Rangers may end up placing RHP Vicente Padilla on the disabled list with neck and shoulder stiffness. Padilla was originally scheduled to pitch Friday, but he could not throw his between-starts bullpen session this week. It's the third time this month Padilla's had a scheduled start pushed back by the issue. Another option would be to send either RHP Warner Madrigal or LHP Bill White to Class A Bakersfield in a procedural move that would allow them to be recalled after the California League season ends Monday.
--LHP Bill White became the 54th player used this season by the Rangers, extending the club record. OF Nelson Cruz had set the mark earlier this week, breaking the previous record of 52 set three times (most recently in 2004). --RHP Jamey Wright's bases-loaded walk of Mike Napoli was the Rangers 21st bases-loaded walk of the season, tying the club record set in 1987. Since the stat was first kept in 1974, only four clubs have issued more walks in a season. The record is held by the 1999 Seattle Mariners with 28.
--C Gerald Laird got a second consecutive day off after he complained of some soreness in his hamstrings. Laird missed five weeks earlier in the season with a severe hamstring strain.
--OF Nelson Cruz was named the Pacific Coast League's MVP after hitting .342 with 37 home runs and 99 RBIs for Class AAA Oklahoma before being called up earlier this week.
BY THE NUMBERS: 593 2/3 -- The bullpen's pace for innings pitched this season after throwing 480 innings in the first 131 games. That total would put them fourth all-time, just ahead of last year's Rangers' club, which pitched 592 innings. The 2003 Rangers pitched an all-time high of 601 1/3.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "I was a little jittery, but I felt like I was able to regulate myself a little and I could fall back on some of the adjustments we made in the last couple of weeks. I think being able to make adjustments in the middle of an inning was a big positive step. I know I got off on the wrong foot every inning by putting the leadoff batter on base, but I felt I was able to make an adjustment each time. This is the beginning of things. I've got a good foundation, but I have a lot of work to move forward." -- RHP Brandon McCarthy, summing up his first start of the season.
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