Just one inning into his 2015 season, which was expected to be a big bounce-back season for Derek Holland after only playing in September of 2014 because of injury, the lefty's season was put on hold again.
Holland threw nine pitches in the Rangers' home debut, and his season debut, before leaving with shoulder tightness that ended up being a subscapular shoulder strain — fixed only by rest.
There's no timetable for his return, but it's expected to be by mid-August. He threw his first batting practice session earlier this week and now will throw to live hitters for the second time on Saturday.
After his first live BP session, Holland proclaimed himself ready to begin his rehab assignment, but the Rangers are taking it slow with the lefty, especially given his recent injury history and the team's lack of urgency because of their dwindling playoff hopes.
If things go well on Saturday, Evan Grant reported that the Rangers could decide to send Holland out on a rehab assignment, which can last for 30 days, or six starts. If that timetable is held, it would point more to late-August return for the Rangers' projected No. 2 starter, turned ace after Yu Darvish's season-ending injury.
