A dropped pick-off throw during Tuesday's brief intrasquad game was the catalyst for Washington's statement. Andrus had also made a couple of sub-par throws during Monday's first intrasquad game.

Washington spoke with Andrus briefly after the inning and then again for a longer period of time after the game.

"It goes a little further than that, but that dropped ball was the last I wanted to see of it," Washington said. "The kid can play. We just have to get him focused. The rest of the league will be focused. He needs to be, too."

Washington said Andrus, 21, has been supremely confident since arriving at spring training and he's got no problem with that. But he reiterated that he needed to see improved focus.

It's not the first time a young, talented Rangers player has been called out for lackadaisical work during his first spring training as a veteran. Michael Young still speaks about the lesson he learned from being yelled at by then-manager Jerry Narron during the spring of 2002. Narron challenged Young in front of the entire time for failing to execute during a drill.