Mengden allowed six earned runs on seven hits and a walk over four innings while recording four strikeouts in a Saturday Cactus League appearance against the Rangers, and he's having trouble separating from other contenders for one of two potential open starting rotation spots, Alyson Footer of MLB.com reports.
The 25-year-old right-hander was in trouble early and often, allowing five of his six runs after coming in to open the fifth inning. The spotty performance has been a bit of a running theme for Mengden this spring, as he has now allowed at least two earned runs in four of five appearances. Despite the unsightly final line, there were some positives to glean in the eyes of manager Bob Melvin, who saw his pitcher settle down over his final two frames and hit 95 mph on the gun with his fastball. "This was a little different too, where he's not starting a game," Melvin said. "He's had to come in a little bit later in the game, which is not something he's used to."