Blackburn gave up two earned runs on two hits and two walks over three innings while recording three strikeouts in a Saturday start against the Rangers, and he's having trouble separating from other contenders for one of two potential starting rotation spots, Alyson Footer of MLB.com reports.
Blackburn has essentially alternated a pair of questionable outings with two impressive efforts over his four appearances, as he'd also allowed four earned runs over two innings versus the Cubs on Feb. 28. The Rangers sent six hitters to the plate against him in the first inning Saturday, with two of them eventually crossing the plate. While a Jake Smolinski error on a routine flyball didn't help matters, a two-run home run by Elvis Andrus was all on Blackburn, who acknowledged that his location was off on that pitch. He did settle down over his final two frames, and the 24-year-old still feels confident in his ability to even out his performances. "My body feels good and I felt good with the stuff I had today," he said. "I feel like my fastball command came a long way since my first outing of spring. I just continue to build off that."