The Braves host the Rangers this weekend in interleague play for the first time since 2003 when the Braves swept three games from Texas at Turner Field. The defending American League champion Rangers have a few familiar names to Braves fans, thanks in large part to the trade that brought Mark Teixeira and Ron Mahay to the Braves from the Rangers in 2007 for five prospects.
Here what’s happening with three of those former Braves prospects, now Rangers regulars, and another couple of notable Rangers to watch during this weekend series.
Neftali Feliz: The former Braves farmhand is the defending AL rookie of the year. The 23-year-old Dominican native saved 40 games for the Rangers last season. The club flirted with the idea of making him a starter this season, but Feliz resisted and has returned to the closer role. He spent some time on the disabled list in late April and early May with shoulder inflammation. He gave up nine walks and struck out only three in 10 1/3 innings in May, but walked none in his first four appearances of June.
Elvis Andrus: An AL All-Star shortstop last year at age 21, the Venezuelan native is a dynamic defensive player. He was first in errors committed among AL shortstops, though, with 13 through Wednesday. He committed two Sunday, when he did his own impersonation of another former Brave with a similar name, Andruw … Jones. Andrus was pulled in the middle of a loss to the Twins by manager Ron Washington for making a lazy throw to first base and an error. Jones once was pulled in the middle of a game by former Braves manager Bobby Cox for loafing on a fly ball to center field.
Matt Harrison: The former third-round pick of the Braves had to reinvent himself this spring, after his 2010 odyssey from the Rangers' Opening Day rotation to the bullpen and eventually off the roster during the postseason. Harrison had to leave his previous start with a bruised triceps muscle after taking a liner on the elbow, but he is expected to start Saturday against the Braves. Harrison already has missed starts earlier this season because of a blister and a kidney stone. The Rangers have lost seven of his past nine starts.
Josh Hamilton: The Rangers went 15-21 without their reigning AL MVP in the six weeks he missed on the disabled list with a broken bone in his arm. Hamilton was injured on a headfirst slide in early April trying to score on what he called a "stupid play" on a pop-foul. He stirred some controversy when he publicly criticized his third-base coach for sending him on the play. With Hamilton in the lineup this season, the Rangers were 21-12 through Wednesday.
Mike Maddux: If the Rangers' pitching coach looks a little familiar, that's because he resembles his younger brother, Greg, who pitched for 11 years at Turner Field and has his No. 31 retired now up on the left-field façade. Mike Maddux is a veteran of 15 major league seasons and nine teams, the last of which he pitched for in 2000, but he has made more of a name for himself as a pitching coach. Rangers president Nolan Ryan has raved about him since bringing him to the Rangers organization after his six years as pitching coach in Milwaukee. Maddux got his coaching start for the Ryan-owned Double-A Round Rock team.
