After missing most of last season with a pair of procedures to repair a herniated disk in his back, Rangers left-hander Matt Harrison continues to have some bad luck on the health front.
T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com reports that Harrison is dealing with stiffness in his lower back and will return to Texas to be examined by a specialist. The southpaw was scratched from throwing live batting practice Tuesday due to stiffness in his neck, but it has now moved down to the general area where he had surgery last year, though on the opposite side. That’s still cause for concern, so the Rangers will have him undergo an MRI and get checked out.
The Rangers will already be without Derek Holland until midseason following knee surgery, so losing Harrison for the start of the season would be a tough blow. As of now, Yu Darvish, Martin Perez, and Alexi Ogando are considered locks for the rotation while Colby Lewis, Tommy Hanson, Robbie Ross, and Nick Tepesch would be in the mix for the final two spots if Harrison isn’t ready to go.