Newberg Report Plus — April 17, 2008

Baseball America reports today that lefthander Kasey Kiker was limited a bit by a sore shoulder over the winter, putting him a couple weeks behind other young pitchers in camp but that, if everything goes well with a five-inning stint in extended today, he will pitch for Bakersfield when his day to throw next comes up. 

Rangers Director of Player Development Scott Servais also told BA that the organization would like to limit 2007 first-rounders Blake Beavan, Michael Main, and Neil Ramirez to 19 or 20 starts this season, which suggests that those three could be assigned to full-season Class A affiliates before the short-season clubs in Spokane and Surprise get underway in mid-June – a plan similar to the one that Texas successfully implemented with Kiker last year.

Jamey