Martin Perez's bid to win the No. 5 spot in the Texas rotation out of spring training was dashed Sunday when he broke a bone in his left forearm.
Perez was hit above the left wrist by a liner off the bat of Seattle's Brad Miller in the sixth inning. He had x-rays at the Del Webb Medical Center in Surprise and x-rays revealed a fracture in the ulna bone of his left forearm.
Rangers assistant general manager Thad Levine said left-hander is expected to resume a throwing program in three to four weeks. He'll be able to continue with shoulder and cardiovascular programs.
Perez had emerged as the frontrunner for the No. 5 spot with a solid spring start. In two spring appearances Perez had allowed one run in three innings.
The Perez injury opens the door for the No. 5 spot with Robbie Ross, Justin Grimm, Cody Buckel and Randy Wells among the candidates. The spot will only be needed until Colby Lewis returns from his right flexor tendon surgery, which will likely be sometime in May.
Texas could also look outside the organization as right-hander Kyle Lohse remains unsigned.
Texas might not need a No. 5 starter until as late as April 9 because the team has two open dates the first week of the season.
