Rangers Scout Santana in Winter Start

The Texas Rangers are still actively looking to fill out their starting rotation, preferably with a proven veteran who could be had on the cheap, and on Tuesday they scouted veteran lefty Johan Santana in a winter league start in Venezuela.

Santana, 35, is a two-time Cy Young winner from his time with the Minnesota Twins, but has been a walking injury in recent years. He has undergone two shoulder surgeries and last pitched in a big-league game in 2012 with the New York Mets, pretty soon after he tossed a no-hitter.

The injuries continued last summer when he tore his Achilles tendon in extended spring training with the Orioles, and The Dallas Morning News' Gerry Fraley said Santana hopes to sign with a team before spring training.

In his Tuesday start, he needed just 17 pitches to work through two perfect innings, and Santana told local reporters he felt great to take the mound again and have success doing it.

“It had been a long time since I felt butterflies like that,” Santana told reporters. “I felt really great, and I am happy.”

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