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Butler will get multi-inning duty as the Rangers evaluate him as a possible starter, Gerry Fraley of the Dallas Morning News reports. Manager Jeff Banister wants to get a better feel for where Butler may fit in the team's plans.
That experiment began Thursday, when Butler finished up the final 3.2 innings of Texas' 17-8 win over the Orioles and picked up a save in the process. The 27-year-old, who was acquired from the Cubs as part of the Cole Hamels trade, had been used primarily as a starter with the Cubs and Rockies before pitching exclusively out of the bullpen in 2018. Banister intends to have Butler piggy-back with a current rotation member in an effort to stretch him out, with an eye toward having him compete as a starter next spring.
