Major League Baseball

Rangers bring closer Felix off DL

Published May. 6, 2011 1:00 a.m. ET

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Neftali Feliz is back in the bullpen for the Texas Rangers, and the injured AL MVP is swinging without any problems.

The Rangers got a needed boost when they activated the hard-throwing Feliz from the disabled list Friday before the opener of their weekend series against the New York Yankees.

''I'm happy to be back contributing,'' said Feliz, who last pitched April 20 before going on the DL with right shoulder inflammation. ''I'm going to focus on maintaining my exercise program and hopefully it doesn't happen again.''

Slugger Josh Hamilton said he is still another two or three weeks before retuning from a broken bone in his upper right arm. But he took 125 swings off a tee and soft-toss pitches with a lighter fungo bat Friday and felt good.

''Each day I come back, I want to be sore from doing exercises and things like that with no pain, and that's what it's been so far. I haven't had any pain,'' he said. ''All my strength's back. I've been throwing to bases, I've been running the bases, throwing long toss, swinging the (fungo) bat.''

Hamilton got hurt on a headfirst dive into home plate April 12. He was working out within two weeks after getting hurt, and stayed in Texas to continue rehabilitation instead of going with the team on its just-completed road trip.

''The biggest thing is just letting the bone heal. That's what's holding me back,'' he said. ''Physically, running around, throwing hitting, it's fine. ... Dr. (Keith) Meister said everything is pain tolerance. If it doesn't hurt, do it.''

Texas was 6-8 while Feliz was out. The only saves for the Rangers during that span were by their 40-something left-handers, two by Darren Oliver and one by Arthur Rhodes.

In eight appearances before being sidelined, Feliz had five saves in five chances with a 1.08 ERA and opponents hit only .138 against him. The right-hander set a major league rookie record with 40 saves last season when Texas went to its first World Series and he was the AL Rookie of the Year.

Texas optioned catcher Taylor Teagarden to Triple-A Round Rock to make room on the roster.

With scheduled Sunday starting pitcher Alexi Ogando still bothered by a blister on his throwing hand, the Rangers are going back to eight relievers and only two catchers. With Teagarden gone, it limits how they can use catcher Mike Napoli, who is also a designated hitter and first baseman.

''Right now, we've got to protect our pitching. If Ogando can't go on Sunday, and we have to do something, we might have to pitch out the bullpen, so we've got to make sure we have pitching,'' manager Ron Washington said. ''I guess you call that contingency.''

Napoli was in the starting lineup Friday because Washington said it was his turn to catch. Yorvit Torreabla, the primary catcher, started 25 of the first 32 games.

The blister has been an issue for most of the season for Ogando (3-0, 2.17 ERA), a converted reliever put in the rotation after Tommy Hunter was hurt at the end of spring training.

Ogando said a ''fake nail'' he put over the blistered area to try to protect it pinches a little when he throws. But he said he's not concerned and will be ready to ''take the ball and go right back at it.''

Outfielder Nelson Cruz was out of the lineup for the second straight game because of a tight right quad muscle. While Cruz said he was feeling better, the Rangers said he would have an MRI on Saturday.

''But I had no intention of playing him today after the travel, the fatigue factor,'' Washington said.

The Rangers got back to Texas about 5 a.m. Friday from a 3-1 loss at Seattle that wrapped up a 2-5 road trip that knocked them out of first place in the AL West.

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