After Initial Mess, Rangers Andrew Heaney Cleans Up In Spring Start

SURPRISE, Ariz. — Count Andrew Heaney as another Texas Rangers pitcher still adjusting to the quicker pitch clock this spring.

The left-hander made his first Cactus League appearance on Sunday, and despite some early traffic, he looked very good. He struck out five in two innings against the San Francisco Giants. The five punch outs came after he walked and hit the first two batters. Tyler Fitzgerald stole third with no outs, but Heaney struck out LaMonte Wade Jr. swinging, David Villar looking and got Pablo Sandoval to tap back to the mound to end the inning.

Heaney, 32, struck out the side in the second. Heaney said the pitch clock, which gives pitchers two fewer seconds than a year ago between pitches, may have been a factor in the first. Pitchers have 18 seconds between receiving the ball and delivering a pitch, down two seconds from 2023 in an effort to keep the pace of the game moving.

"It's definitely faster. And it's not something that I worked on this offseason," Heaney said. "I didn't have a clock on any of my bullpens. So I think it's just a little bit of an adjustment. I'd love for it to stay [at 20 seconds], but I guess it's the rules we're playing under, so you've got to get used to it."

Heaney's fastballs were very effective down in the zone, and his slider had swift movement and finished in the zone.