Texas Rangers

Lineup for exhibition opener

Here's who you can expect to see play in today's opener against Kansas City. Catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia will not play but will start tomorrow. Kevin Mench will handle the designated hitter duties.

1. Ian Kinsler/Ryan Roberts

2. Josh Hamilton/Jason Ellison

3. Michael Young/Ramon Vazquez

4. Hank Blalock/Edgardo Alfonzo

5. Marlon Byrd/Nelson Cruz

6, Ben Broussard/Jason Botts

7. Kevin Mench

8. David Murphy/Frank Catalanotto

9. Gerald Laird/Taylor Teagarden

- Anthony Andro

McCarthy to miss start

Rangers right-hander Brandon McCarthy, who was scheduled to start Wednesday's exhibition opener against Kansas City, has been scratched from the start because of a sore elbow. Rangers manager Ron Washington said the injury was not serious and that McCarthy could make the start if he needed to. But Washington didn't think there was any reason to push things. "It's nothing serious," Washington said. "He complained about it and we're going to take the cautious route and hold him out of his start." Texas starter Kevin Millwood will already miss his first start with a sore right hamstring. A.J. Murray will start in McCarthy's spot.

- Anthony Andro

Pride concert starts morning

The usual 8 a.m. opening of the Rangers clubhouse has been put on hold. Country music Hall of Famer Charley Pride gave the Rangers a private concert in the clubhouse, which lasted about an hour. Pride opened with "Kiss An Angel Good Morning."

- Anthony Andro

Money talks

Here are the terms of the one-year contracts the seven Rangers signed Monday.

Beltre, Omar      $390,000

Littleton, Wes    $397,510

McCarthy, Brandon         $404,810

Metcalf, Travis  $392,000

Murphy, David  $393,000

Murray, AJ          $392,000

Ogando, Alexi    $390,000

- Anthony Andro

Rangers bring back Jerry Narron

Jerry Narron, who managed the Rangers in 2001 and 2002, has been hired by the team as a consultant. Narron's role has yet to be defined but he will work some on scouting. Narron also managed in Cincinnati part of the 2005 season and all of 2006 before being fired midway through last season. The hiring will reunite Jerry Narron with his brother Johnny, who was hired by the Rangers in the off-season.

- Anthony Andro

Millwood to miss spring start

Rangers right-hander Kevin Millwood, who was scheduled to make his spring debut Friday, will miss the start because of a sore right hamstring. Millwood's start has been pushed back at least five days after he hurt the hamstring during condititioning drills Sunday. "It doesn't feel that bad and hopefully it will be a quick fix," Millwood said. "It's just frustrating. I feel like I'm in really good shape and something like this happens." Millwood had hamstring problems last season but it was with his left hamstring and forced him to spend a stint on the disabled list.

- Anthony Andro

Power of positive thinking

Part of Sunday's drills at the Surprise Recreation Campus including something most players hadn't done in professional baseball: practice their home-run trot.

"It's something I've never done," designated hitter Frank Catalanotto said. "It enjoy it, though."

Third-base coach Matt Walbeck mixed it in at the end of the day's base running. He said the drill is something he brought with him from his days as a minor-league manager, but is also somewhat important for him as he learns what players like to do after hitting a bomb.

In fact, he had a list he referenced as player after player rounded the bases. The No. 1 purpose of the trot is to have some fun.

"The guys like it," Walbeck said. "It's fun. You've got to keep it loose, and it helps me bond with them a little bit."

His favorite is Gerald Laird's back-handed hand slap, quick and low. He said he could be injured when Hank Blalock drops the hammer rounding third.

"He's aggressive, and I'm afraid he's going to break my scaphoid [bone]," Walbeck said.

- Jeff Wilson

Instrasquad notes

Monday's intrasquad game will not be played in Surprise Stadium but will instead be played on Nolan Ryan Field, which is the Rangers primary practice field. The game is scheduled to start around noon Arizona time but could start a little earlier. Manager Ron Washington said there's a chance some Rangers will work on fielding drills once the game ends.

- Anthony Andro

Surprise sightings

On my first road trip away from Surprise, I found a couple of interesting sights. There's a Snyder's of Hanover pretzel factory store about 20 minutes from here. If it's like a bread factory store, it should have day-old pretzels. How would you know if a pretzel is old? They're already hard so how can you tell if it's stale. I also crossed the Agua Fria River. The river was neither Fria (cold) nor Agua (water). It was just some land without any water in it. The trip did end at my Aunt Pat and Uncle Paul's house with beef stroganoff for dinner.

- Anthony Andro

Duran OK back home

German Duran's parents took the news about his tattoos in stride. At least his father did. Duran's parents found out he had three tattoos when they read it in Friday's Star-Telegram. Duran had a couple of messages on his cell phone when he finished his work Friday but was slow to check the messages. Once he did, he found out his father was all right with the ink. As for his mother, she was a little less accepting. "She can't ground me from Arizona," Duran joked. And if his mom decides to withhold home cooking as a punishment, Duran's backup plan is to have dad cook when he visits.

- Anthony Andro