Matt Garza’s “dead arm” last week pushed back his minor-league rehab assignment, but the Cubs right-hander felt good enough to throw 2.2 innings at Double-A today.
Garza allowed one run on one hit and two walks, failing to record a strikeout while throwing 42 pitches.
Garza hasn’t pitched for the Cubs since July 21 of last season, with a lat muscle strain and “dead arm” hindering his recovery from elbow problems. He’ll likely make at least 2-3 more starts in the minors.
The Rangers have signed catcher Jeff Mathis to a two-year contract, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. The deal is pending a physical.
Mathis turns 36 years old at the end of March and has a career .564 OPS across 14 seasons, but he is well-regarded for his defense and ability to handle a pitching staff.
The arrival of Mathis could mean the Rangers are moving on from Robinson Chirinos behind the plate, as he is now a free agent. The Rangers could go after another catcher to complement Mathis or just have Isiah Kiner-Falefa back up Mathis. Though Kiner-Falefa mostly played elsewhere, including three spots across the infield, he did rack up over 300 defensive innings behind the plate in 2018.
