SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Texas Rangers pitcher Matt Harrison had an MRI on his back Thursday, but will see a doctor in Dallas on Monday for further evaluation.
Harrison said nothing major jumped out on the MRI, but the Rangers aren't ruling anything out until Harrison gets a chance to see Dr. Drew Dossett, who handled both of Harrison's back surgeries in April and May of last year. Dossett is at the NFL combine through the weekend.
"He'll try to figure out what might have caused it and it may have been just as simple as something may have moved or shifted a little bit and nicked that nerve because it's so close together in there."
Harrison said the back was sore and tight on Wednesday and the club decided to shut him down and get some tests done. The soreness is in the same general area where he had the surgery, but the opposite side of the back. Harrison said he has not felt any numbness, something he experienced before needing surgery last year.
"My understanding is that they would like to take more film for a proper evaluation, but that what he saw wasn't overly concerning," Rangers assistant general manager Thad Levine said. "He'll probably take a few different images and lay hands on him. Nothing was effectively ruled out nor was anything pin-pointed at this point."
Harrison had three surgeries in 2013, including one to alleviate Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, missing nearly all of last season. He made only two starts in April, trying to pitch through soreness. He was 0-2 with an 8.84 ERA before the back issues were discovered.
Catcher Geovany Soto is also headed back to Dallas. He'll see Dr. John Crates, a specialist in Plano, about his sore Achilles. Soto is not concerned and stressed that is was precautionary.
"If this was the season, this would be no problem, put a little bit of tape on it and just go out there," Soto said. "But we're not even in March. I want to take care of minor aches and pains. I'm jumping around (and he did, in fact, jump as he said it). I just want to get it checked because it's so early and see what's going on."