Andrew Heaney had his first spring start yesterday. Whether he won it or lost it or pitched well or poorly isn’t an issue. It’s that he pitched.

Every time he, or Jacob deGrom, or Nate Eovaldi, or even Jon Gray for that matter, take the mound this spring, it’s not what they do it’s that they are doing it without injuring themselves.

Texas has a chance to have the best rotation on franchise history. It also has a chance to have the most crowded training room in history. Four of their five starters have legitimate injury histories.

But you can’t dwell on that. You can’t be worried if this pitch is going to be the one. You just have to hope they go out there and do their job and don’t run into lingering problems.

Yesterday, against the Dodgers, Heaney started the game off with two straight pitches out of the strike zone against LA’s leadoff hitter Mookie Betts. He told himself he was not going to start the game with three consecutive balls. So he threw one down the middle.

That one ended up in the right field bleachers.

Spring games are that way. Just working on things. As Heaney said after the game, that was a case of stubbornness. Guys need to work on their disposition as well as their location and velocity and stuff.

It’s spring. The outcome doesn’t matter. The only thing that matters is that these guys get their work in, build their arm strength for the regular season. And don’t end up on the I.L.

When the bell starts, that’s when you hope they don’t groove pitches. Rangers fans have seen six years of that.

*****

TODAY’S GAME:

TEXAS @ MILWAUKEE, 2:10