The Rangers' pitching staff, always a huge question for this franchise, had an uneven spring. RHP Brandon McCarthy never even made it to the mound. RHP Kevin Millwood missed time with a hamstring injury. RHP Jason Jennings battled all spring just to get his velocity to an acceptable level. And in the bullpen, the three back-end pitchers -- LHP C.J. Wilson, RHP Joaquin Benoit and LHP Eddie Guardado -- all missed significant time, too.

ROTATION:

1. RHP Kevin Millwood

2. RHP Vicente Padilla

3. RHP Jason Jennings

4. LHP Kason Gabbard

5. RHP Luis Mendoza

If the rotation can stay healthy, Millwood, Padilla and Jennings are all capable of 200-inning seasons, though none of them came close last year. If the Rangers got 180 or more from each of them, it would be the single biggest factor in improving this team over last year.

Mendoza won the fifth spot after RHP Brandon McCarthy went down with inflammation in his elbow. Mendoza is an extreme sinkerball pitcher whose maturity on the mound has impressed the Rangers. It might be hard for McCarthy to displace him when he returns. RHP Eric Hurley, the club's top pitching prospect, is lurking.

BULLPEN:

LHP C.J. Wilson (closer)

RHP Joaquin Benoit

LHP Eddie Guardado

RHP Kazuo Fukumori

RHP Jamey Wright

RHP Robinson Tejeda

RHP Franklyn German

RHP Wes Littleton, Frank Francisco or Kameron Loe

Wilson's experience as a closer consists of two months last season in which he converted 12 of 14 chances after Eric Gagne was traded. There is no real verdict on him, and the three weeks of games he missed in spring training didn't help allay any concerns. He's got a varied assortment of pitches but must improve his pitch efficiency in order to be a full-time closer. If he fails, the Rangers might just turn the ball over to Guardado.

The final three spots in the bullpen were up for grabs in the spring. German won one with the most impressive performance in camp; Tejeda got one by virtue of being out of minor league options. The other will be an optionable piece who could be sent out two weeks into the season to make room for a fifth starter.

LINEUP:

1. 2B Ian Kinsler

2. SS Michael Young

3. CF Josh Hamilton

4. DH/RF Milton Bradley

5. 3B Hank Blalock

6. RF/LF Marlon Byrd

7. 1B Ben Broussard

8. OF/DH Frank Catalanotto/David Murphy

9. C Gerald Laird

The status of OF Milton Bradley's knee will keep the Rangers' lineup in flux to start the season. It's still not clear when he'll be ready to play the outfield. In addition, the Rangers will try to keep Hamilton off his feet some for fear of fatigue and injury, so the outfielders might be moving around a lot. Catalanotto will play left field or DH vs. right-handed pitching, but Murphy, also a left-handed hitter, might get some of his starts, too.

The Rangers appear to be improved up the spine of the defense. Hamilton gives them more power than they've ever had from a center fielder, and his fielding and throwing have been spectacular. Kinsler was a far better defender in the second half of last season, and Laird is one of the AL's best throwing catchers. Laird won the catching battle over top prospect Jarrod Saltalamacchia.

RESERVES:

C Adam Melhuse or Jarrod Saltalamacchia

INF Ramon Vazquez

DH/1B/OF Jason Botts

OF/DH David Murphy/Frank Catalanotto/Marlon Byrd

Botts, who is out of minor league options, won the most intriguing battle of camp by beating out OFs Nelson Cruz and Kevin Mench to be the Rangers' right-handed bat off the bench. If Bradley is ready to play the outfield, Murphy could move into a more well-defined fourth-outfielder role and Catalanotto and Botts could share the DH job.

The Rangers went into the final week of camp still trying to decide whether they wanted to keep Saltalamacchia in the big leagues even if it means he doesn't play every day or if he would be better served catching regularly at Oklahoma.

ROOKIE WATCH: OF David Murphy went to camp as the leading candidate to be the fourth outfielder and has only increased his value. He could get more than 100 starts. Murphy hit .340 over the final six weeks of the season last year after being acquired from Boston. RHP Luis Mendoza begins the season as the club's fifth starter. Mendoza has a well above-average sinking fastball and relies mostly on it. The challenge is for him to work on being able to show secondary pitches earlier in games to get hitters from locking in on the fastball.

MEDICAL WATCH:

RHP Brandon McCarthy (right elbow inflammation) is out for at least the first month of the season, perhaps longer.

LHP John Rheinecker (Thoracic Outlet Syndrome) is not expected to pitch until June or July after undergoing surgery to remove a rib that was compressing an artery leading to his arm.

3B Travis Metcalf (left hamstring tendon surgery) is expected to miss the first month of the season.

RHP Thomas Diamond (Tommy John surgery) is hoping to be pitching for a minor league club on rehab by May.

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