Ezequiel Duran Earns Texas Rangers Roster Spot

Texas Rangers utility man Ezequiel Duran made the 26-man roster after a successful Spring Training.

A roster question looming in the last few days of Spring Training was the decision on utility player Ezequiel Duran. His performance during camp left the Texas Rangers no choice but to include the utility man  Opening Day roster.

Duran finished the spring with a .357 batting average, 12 extra-base hits, 15 RBI and an OPS of 1.104.

“Everything I worked on, everything I did and everything [the Rangers] asked me to do, I did and thank God everything went well,” Duran said. “I wasn’t focused on [making the team] since it’s out of my hands. So, I just came out here to enjoy myself and do the best I possibly can. Me making the team is a plus.”

Despite the success throughout camp, there were still aspects of his game he wanted to work on. Specifically, plate discipline.

“My approach and to get a better strike zone,” Duran said. “Those are the kind of things I wanted to focus [on] before [we] started [the season].”

Duran told Inside the Rangers there wasn’t any pressure in Spring Training. Instead, the mentality was about enjoying the moment, playing wherever the team wanted him to play and stepping onto the field to be the best player he could be. The lack of pressure he faced made him comfortable throughout camp.

Rangers manager Bruce Bochy used Duran mainly in the infield, with a few reps in left field, where the team may primarily use him.

Duran didn’t play on Opening Day in Texas' 11-7 win over the Philadelphia Phillies. With the three-game series resuming 3:05 p.m. Saturday at Globe Life Field, look for Duran to get on the field soon.

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You can find Alex Plinck on Twitter @aplinckTX.

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