08:27 PM CDT on Saturday, June 3, 2006

By EVAN GRANT / The Dallas Morning News

CHICAGO – Kevin Mench continues to puzzle the Rangers. He has taken streakiness to all new levels this season.

Mench, who sat out Saturday's game, went the first 41 at-bats of the season without an RBI, then he drove in 23 runs in nine games while hitting a home run in seven consecutive games. He has since fallen back on the less productive side of the curve. He has not hit a home run in his last 10 games or had an RBI in his last 18.

"I thought I had a feel for him during spring and again when he hit those homers in seven straight games," manager Buck Showalter said. "We've come to understand that streakiness is part of Kevin's game. The struggles are going to be there, but there are also going to be some really good stretches. The challenge is as much on us as it is on him."

Mench said he's always been streaky but was not concerned about the latest power outage – "you've just got to battle through it." He has had less playing time of late. Saturday marked the third time in the Rangers' last 12 games that he did not start.

"That's just the way baseball goes," Mench said of streakiness. Catching condition: Gerald Laird will start at catcher this afternoon against Chicago lefty Mark Buehrle. The more important circumstance might be that Laird will play against a lefty instead of Rod Barajas.

Although Laird has regularly caught day games following night games, the Rangers may start to look to play him more regularly against left-handers. Laird is 9-for-17 (.529) against lefties. Barajas is just 3-for-28 (.107), with one hit in his last 10 at-bats.

Alfonseca goes again: Right-hander Antonio Alfonseca will make one more rehab appearance for Triple-A Oklahoma today before being activated from the disabled list. He threw only five pitches in an inning Friday.

When he returns, the Rangers will face a difficult decision on whom to remove from the roster. The most likely candidate is infielder D'Angelo Jimenez, who would have to be exposed to waivers. It would, however, put the Rangers in position have several optionable pieces to shuttle back and forth to the minors.

If the Rangers need a position player, they could then call up outfielder Freddy Guzman. If they need a reliever, they'd have lefty C.J. Wilson available. And if they needed a starter, they could grab right-hander Robinson Tejeda.

A model to follow: The Rangers saw what C.J. Wilson can become. That pitcher faced the Rangers on Friday. Lefty Neal Cotts got lefty Hank Blalock to bounce into a fielder's choice with two men on to end the seventh.

"That's a good comparison for C.J.," Showalter said. "They've got similar stuff. They've got plus fastballs and good tempos on the mound. The difference maker right now is that Cotts is throwing more strikes."

Wilson, who was optioned to Oklahoma on Thursday, has walked 12 batters in 191/3 innings. Cotts has walked just six in 22 1/3 .

Briefly: Hitting instructor Rudy Jaramillo said he had no problems with fatigue during his first day back on full-time duty after eight weeks of recuperation from prostate cancer surgery. ... RHP Frank Francisco was impressive in his first rehab outing Friday for Double-A Frisco. He pitched a scoreless inning for the RoughRiders, and his fastball ranged from 89 to 93 mph. The Rangers still don't expect Francisco back until next month. ... Showalter said newly acquired OF-INF Jerry Hairston Jr. will start today but was unsure of what position. ... LHP John Danks moved back into a tie for the Texas League lead with five strikeouts Friday. He has 67 – 39 in his last 28 2/3 innings.