• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Lewis set for return as Rangers begin set with Mariners

Apr 14, 2014 - 3:01 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - Colby Lewis makes his long awaited return to the mound Monday as the Texas Rangers welcome the Seattle Mariners to Globe Life Park in Arlington for the opener of a four-game set.

Lewis will be making his first major league appearance since July 18, 2012, a span of nearly two years. The right-hander was 32-29 with a 3.93 ERA in 80 starts for the Rangers in 2010-12 before undergoing flexor tendon and hip replacement surgery.

Despite the unprecedented nature of Lewis' hip procedure for a professional pitcher, manager Ron Washington said Lewis would not be on any kind of pitch count.

"I'm not concerned about anything," Lewis said. "During spring training, I proved I can get up and down. There is nothing limiting me physically."

For Seattle, rookie southpaw Roenis Elias has been solid through two starts but does not have a win to his credit. In his last outing, Elias limited the Angels to two earned runs in five innings. Previously, he gave up only one run in five innings at Oakland for his big league debut.

Elias, who hails from Cuba, made the Mariners rotation in spring training after pitching in Double-A last season. Manager Lloyd McClendon likes what he has seen so far.

"I think he should come away from this outing feeling good about himself," McClendon said after the lefty's last outing. "He pitched pretty darn good. He just ran into a guy that was a little better, but in no way was I disappointed with his outing. I look forward to his next start."

Seattle lost two of three to the Athletics over the weekend. Chris Young threw six shutout innings on Sunday, but Oakland's Yoenis Cespedes broke open a scoreless game with a two-run homer in the eighth and the A's went on to win, 3-0.

Texas enters the second leg of its 10-game homestand after claiming a series victory over the Houston Astros with Sunday's 1-0 victory. Martin Perez tossed eight shutout innings and induced four double plays.

However, prior to the game the team sent third baseman Adrian Beltre to the 15-day disabled list with a strained left quadriceps muscle. Beltre, who is hitting .286 in eight games, is eligible to return on April 24.

Texas went 12-7 against the M's last year and held a 103-62 edge in runs scored.