Holland Set For First Career Start

With Vicente Padilla headed to the disabled list, Derek Holland will make his Major League debut as a starter on Friday night in Houston, as the Rangers take on the Astros.
 
Holland, 22 years old, is 1-1 with a 4.85 ERA over 13 innings as a reliever this season.
 
The move from the bullpen to the rotation was an inevitable one for Holland, though Padilla’s injury, a strained right shoulder, expedited the process.
 
Padilla will likely be activated around June 1, somewhat ironically the timeframe in which Texas had hoped to get Holland his first start.
 
This injury may turn out to be a blessing in disguise. Whether or not Holland is ready as of now, he seems destined for the rotation in the coming years if not months, and this early experience should help.
 
The Rangers got an unexpected boost last month with the injury to Kris Benson, which, in turn, gave Scott Feldman an opportunity to rejoin the rotation; Feldman has done nothing but reward the team with five solid starts since, allowing only five runs in 29 innings pitched as a starter.
 
As a rookie, and a 22 year-old rookie at that, the learning curve may be a bit steeper for Holland. Feldman had 25 career starts before 2009, including spending much of last year in the rotation.
 
Holland’s big-league experience is limited to just seven relief appearances.
 
If his first start hits a rough patch, the injury to Padilla will quickly become a loathsome point of distress for fans.
 
If he throws a gem, however, Padilla’s name might be forgotten all together over the next two weeks.
 
In any case, tonight’s interleague match-up should be an exciting one for Rangers fans; Holland is the first of a slew of talented young pitching prospects to make the big club and his first start, for good or ill, will represent another step in the right direction.
 
Getting Holland experience will serve the Rangers well in both the immediate future as well as the long term. With talent like that of the 22 year-old Ohio-native, a baptism by fire may be just as well as any other.
 
And as Scott Feldman has shown, a little faith, from manager to pitcher, can go a long way.
 
Closer Frank Francisco has been activated from the disabled list for the series, replacing Padilla on the roster.
 
Texas will kick off the three game set in Houston on Friday night, first pitch at 7:05 CST.