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Rangers move Bush back to bullpen after trying him as starter

Tom Pennington / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Thus ends the great Matt Bush-as-a-starter experiment.

After flirting with moving their ace reliever into the rotation during the first half of spring training, the Texas Rangers announced Sunday that the right-hander will return to the bullpen for the coming season.

"We just feel that Matt is way too important to us in the bullpen," manager Jeff Banister told Drew Davison of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram on Sunday. "Just his set of pitches, how he pitches, so we feel like that's the best move for him as well as us as a team trying to structure the bullpen the best way we possibly can going forward."

While he is heading back to the bullpen, Bush will not be a candidate for the Rangers' vacant closer's job, according to Banister. Instead, he'll be expected to serve as a multi-inning relief ace.

Bush came to camp this year preparing to join the Rangers' rotation despite the fact that he's made only one career start, as a minor leaguer in 2010. Upon arriving at spring training this year he told Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News: "There is no doubt in mind (I'm a starter). That is what I'm preparing for and I'm not looking back."

But Bush struggled to make the transition, posting a 5.40 ERA in three spring appearances (two of them starts) to date. He lasted just 43 pitches in his most recent start on Friday.

The 32-year-old, who was drafted first overall in 2004 as a shortstop, finally reached the majors as a pitcher with Texas in 2016. He owns a career 3.08 ERA and 119 strikeouts (9.4 K/9) in 115 big-league appearances.

Bush exiting the rotation race may have opened a spot in the Rangers' new six-man rotation, one that could potentially be filled by non-roster invitee Bartolo Colon. The popular veteran, who at 44 years old is MLB's oldest active player, allowed just one unearned run in four innings against the Angels on Sunday, lowering his spring ERA to a sparkling 1.04.

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