Monday Newsletter time: Even Brock Burke was surprised to be Texas Rangers' Opening Day roster
The left-hander started to think he could make it when he asked to transition to a relief role.
SURPRISE, Ariz. — Brock Brock came to Texas Rangers spring training feeling as strong as he has since 2019, the season his left shoulder started barking.
It was also the season he made his MLB debut, throwing six scoreless innings on sweltering night against the Los Angeles Angels. By then, though, he was on his third cortisone shot of the season.
Surgery followed in 2020, and he wasn’t particularly good in 2021 at Triple A Round Rock.
So, no one could have blamed him for questioning just how good of a chance he had to make the Opening Day roster. Frankly, he faced long odds, but overcame them with a terrific spring to win a roster spot.
He was told Saturday he has made the team.
“I definitely felt like the better I did, the more innings I had, the better the chance,” Burke said Sunday. “I didn't know for sure and I was still surprised when they called me in. I didn't assume anything.”
The turning point came at the midpoint in camp when he transitioned from being a starter to a reliever. Healthy and stronger than last season, Burke’s fastball has hit 97 mph and been hard to hit.
He would still like to start and could potentially transition to the rotation as fellow left-hander Taylor Hearn did last season. But Burke has noticed an uptick in his stuff as a reliever.
“You don't have to coast through the game and try to save some stuff for later for the second and third at-bats,” he said. “You can go balls to the wall in a way and give them everything you've got.”
Mama cried
Hearn told manager Chris Woodward on Saturday that his big news might make his mother cry.
Sure enough, Hearn said Sunday, there was some emotion from his family when he informed them that he would be starting the Rangers’ home opener.
“Mom, dad, sister, everybody was emotional,” Hearn said. “But they enjoyed it. Mom wasn't expecting it, so she was the one that got a little more emotional. But aren't all moms like that?”
The Rangers open the season Friday at Toronto and return home next Monday to play the Colorado Rockies.
ICYMI …
The last few days of spring training are usually the newsiest, and that tradition is holding steady this year with the Rangers. And there are always good stories to tell. Here are some of the latest from the Newsletter, in case you missed it.
The Sunday Read: Brad Miller will be everywhere
Friday on the Farm: Inside the initial rosters
T.R.’s Memoirs: An ode to 50
Texas Rangers Baseball Podcast YouTube channel (subscribe for free)
Doggy video!
Who doesn’t like a dog with a sense of humor? Enjoy. See you Tuesday.
Jeff, these stories are really heartwarming. I know how hard these young men work and how difficult it is to make the majors. Here's hoping they do well.