Andrew Heaney Talks First Rangers Start

Andrew Heaney, one of the Rangers' new starters, doesn't worry about spring results.

Texas Rangers pitcher Andrew Heaney has his own self-professed title when it comes to this time of year.

“I’m one of the worst Spring Training pitchers there is, there’s no denying that,” Heaney said with a smile after his start against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday. “I’m not even ashamed of that.”

Context is important, even if the quote gives one a chuckle.

Heaney was talking about what’s important during spring. It’s not winning and losing, it’s how you feel as a pitcher.

And, Heaney said, Wednesday felt pretty good, even if he didn’t get out of the second inning.

“Physically I felt good, mechanically I felt good, my bullpen was great (before the game),” Heaney said.

Sometimes those things don’t translate throughout the start, even if it’s a short one.

Heaney’s first appearance against his former team started with Mookie Betts, who hammered one out to left-center field.

That was a result of stubbornness, Heaney said, and not something he would normally do in a regular-season game. He was down 2-0 in the count and just wanted to throw a strike. So he did.

“I really just wanted to see a strike, you know what I mean?” Heaney said. “Like, I didn’t want to start my first Spring Training game doing a lot of nibbling.”

So the pitch went over the plate and one of the game’s best power hitters put it in the seats.

Heaney retired the next three hitters to close out the first inning. In the second inning, he said he struggled with the command on his change-up and that translated into another Dodgers run.

This time, Jason Heyward hit a lead-off home run to right field. After retiring James Outman, Heaney allowed a single to Yonny Hernandez, followed by walks to Michael Busch and Miguel Vargas to load the bases before he struck out Betts, fittingly.

After that, the Rangers lifted Heaney for Bernardo Flores.

There is also the pitch clock to get used to. During the outing Heaney got a “citation” for taking too long on a pitch.

Like the rest of the staff, Heaney is taking time to get used to the new reality.

“I completely forgot that the clock existed there for a second, shook to a different pitch and I had a runner on,” Heaney said. “I could have stepped off and avoided getting called there. So it’s just something to get used to.”

The Rangers signed Heaney in free agency after he missed half of last season with the Dodgers due to injury. Once he returned, he made 14 starts and two relief appearances, finishing with a 4-4 record and a 3.10 ERA. He still retained a high strikeout rate despite the injuries, fanning 110 and finishing with a strikeout-per-nine-innings rate of 13.9, the highest of his MLB career.

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You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard

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