After Early Mess, Texas Rangers Lefty Andrew Heaney Cleans Up In First Spring Start

Texas Rangers left-hander Andrew Heaney pitched out of a self-made mess early in his first spring start but finished with five strikeouts in two innings.

SURPRISE, Ariz. — Count Andrew Heaney as another Texas Rangers pitcher still adjusting to the quicker pitch clock this spring.

The left-hander made his first Cactus League appearance on Sunday, and despite some early traffic, he looked very good. He struck out five in two innings against the San Francisco Giants. The five punch outs came after he walked and hit the first two batters. Tyler Fitzgerald stole third with no outs, but Heaney struck out LaMonte Wade Jr. swinging, David Villar looking and got Pablo Sandoval to tap back to the mound to end the inning.

Heaney, 32, struck out the side in the second. Heaney said the pitch clock, which gives pitchers two fewer seconds than a year ago between pitches, may have been a factor in the first. Pitchers have 18 seconds between receiving the ball and delivering a pitch, down two seconds from 2023 in an effort to keep the pace of the game moving.

"It's definitely faster. And it's not something that I worked on this offseason," Heaney said. "I didn't have a clock on any of my bullpens. So I think it's just a little bit of an adjustment. I'd love for it to stay [at 20 seconds], but I guess it's the rules we're playing under, so you've got to get used to it."

Heaney's fastballs were very effective down in the zone, and his slider had swift movement and finished in the zone.

Andrew Heaney assesses first spring outing...#TexasRangers pic.twitter.com/mIMvznFJPr

— Stefan Stevenson (@StefanVersusTex) February 25, 2024

"Good stuff. Swing and miss [stuff]," Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said. "He missed a couple of pitches and hit a batter, but overall, really good. He got in a box there, and he pitched out of it. That's Andrew. He has that ability. Good day for him."

Heaney was 10-6 with a 4.15 ERA in 34 games, including 28 starts, with Texas in 2023.

Right-hander Cole Winn makes his first spring appearance with a start against the Chicago White Sox at 1:.05 p.m. Monday at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Ariz.

Dane Dunning is making his second spring start at 1:10 p.m. Tuesday against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale, Ariz. Dunning is likely to throw two innings after only one in the spring opener on Friday.

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