AL West

The Texas Rangers are about three weeks into the new season. They were just dealt a big blow with the news that lefty Matt Harrison will need back surgery.

Despite the bad news, there is reason for optimism—after all, it's only April.

Ron Washington and his players can still set their sights on the division crown. Here are a few reasons why.

The Rangers announced bad news regarding pitcher Matt Harrison on Friday afternoon:

Rangers GM Jon Daniels says Matt Harrison has a herniated disk. Will have back surgery Tuesday.

The Texas Rangers' quest to catch the surging Oakland Athletics in the AL West just got a whole lot more difficult.

According to the Rangers' official Twitter feed, starting pitcher Matt Harrison will undergo back surgery for a herniated disc and be out until after the All-Star break:

In the previous decade, a culture of winning was established in Anaheim. The Angels qualified for the postseason six times in the last 11 years (which included a memorable World Series title run in 2002).

Entering the second week of the Major League Baseball season, the Oakland Athletics find themselves in a comfortable spot.

Sitting atop the American League West, the A's continue their road trip against the formidable Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. This marks another early-season test for the Athletics: how will they fare against a team who many believe to be the prohibitive division favorites.

The Los Angeles Angels fit one of my favorite, classic plot lines in the MLB. With 162 games, stretching over six months, even the greatest, talent-rich teams will hit a bump in the road now and again.

It was all about the Los Angeles Angels' bats heading into the 2013 season. Thanks to Tuesday's news, it's going to be even more about their bats going forward.

Jered Weaver's injury was an odd one.

Welcome to the big leagues Brandon Maurer.

Thursday afternoon, fans of the Seattle Mariners had hoped to see the rookie hurler make the leap from Double-A to the majors unscathed following his impressive showing at spring training.  

Unfortunately, the Oakland A's had other plans (Yahoo!Sports).

As the 2013 season begins, the Seattle Mariners, like many teams, have several story lines to monitor moving forward. Whether they are at the major league level now, or on the verge of being there, Mariners fans will have plenty to think about other than the win-loss record.