Ragans has given up nine runs (eight earned) over his last seven innings, all of which came as a reliever.
Ragans is one of several depth starters that will need to work as a reliever if he wins a roster spot. He made noise early in camp when starting but has run afoul in two recent relief outings. In Thursday's appearance, he struggled early with command, and the Rangers used the spring re-entry rule for him to start the next inning. He ended up giving them another three innings. Rangers manager Bruce Bochy will decide if Ragans is best suited for a multi-inning relief role in MLB or a starter's trajectory at Triple-A Round Rock.