Around AL West Spring Training, 3/29: Rangers Find Their Utility Guy

Mariners: Doug Fister, coming back from a line drive to the arm, threw 65 pitches in a minor league game Monday and felt good...Erik Bedard threw off a mound for the first time, but wasn’t anywhere close to being at full speed...Cliff Lee’s suspension appeal was supposed to take place Monday, but has been postponed because not all parties could attend the conference call...both Ian Snell and Ryan Rowland-Smith spun solid starts over the weekend as they work their way into game shape...the Mariners re-signed starter Yusmeiro Petit to a minor league contract...Milton Bradley will begin the season as the Mariners’ cleanup hitter...Eliezer Alfonzo, Guillermo Quiroz, and David Pauley were cut from big league camp.

Angels: Ervin Santana came back from an inflamed bursa sac in his elbow to throw pretty well on Sunday, although the results were poor...Maicer Izturis was sidelined with back stiffness on Saturday, but has made a rapid recovery.

Athletics: The A’s addressed a hole in the bullpen and added some rotation depth over the weekend when they signed Chad Gaudin...Jon Meloan was placed on the 60-day DL as he’s due to undergo ligament replacement surgery on his elbow...Michael Wuertz was scratched from his scheduled Sunday appearance and will see a specialist about his shoulder...Vin Mazzaro, Michael Taylor, and Chris Carter were re-assigned to minor league camp...Gio Gonzalez and Trevor Cahill continue to battle for the fifth rotation slot...Justin Duchscherer got hit around on Sunday by the Royals. He says he was “throwing decent pitches,” but his command isn’t where he wants it to be...Dallas Braden has an infection in his left shin. He’s scheduled to throw on Wednesday.

Rangers: Derek Holland, Brandon McCarthy, Craig Gentry, and Alexi Ogando were all cut from big league camp, cementing the big league rotation picture. Noticeably absent: Neftali Feliz, who, sure enough, will begin the year in the Ranger bullpen...the Rangers added infielder Andres Blanco over the weekend from the Cubs for a player to be named or cash considerations. Blanco, who turns 26 in two weeks, doesn’t bring much of a bat, but he’s got a solid glove, and it seems he’s already won the bench spot competition over Esteban German and Joaquin Arias...Ian Kinsler gives himself a 95% chance of making the Opening Day roster...Texas is still paying attention to Mike Lowell...Scott Feldman will get the start on Opening Day.