When Rangers starting pitcher A.J. Griffin was given the opportunity to pitch in the Texas starting rotation the first four weeks of the season, he capitalized. The 28-year old right-hander was 3-0 in six starts with a 2.94 ERA.
But a shoulder tightness landed Griffin on the disabled list in early May, which has become a frustratingly familiar destination for the pitcher in his short MLB career. Griffin missed the entire 2014 and 2015 seasons because of injuries.
“It was tough,” Griffin said. “But it’s just one of those things. You have to overcome that and be mentally strong.”
Now, Griffin is ready to make his return to the mound, and it’s coming at the perfect time for the Rangers. Texas has three starting pitchers on the disabled list (Yu Darvish, Derek Holland, and Colby Lewis), and would benefit greatly if it was able to now get a repeat of what they saw from Griffin at the beginning of the season.
“It’s tough, but we have some good ballplayers here and we’ll pick them up,” Griffin said of the injured Rangers. “Any time you get to pitch in a ballgame, it’s a good deal. I try to take those opportunities when I get them.”
Griffin will make his first start back from the disabled list Saturday night at 8:20 p.m. vs. the Boston Red Sox in Globe Life Park.
