Now that the Texas Rangers officially have Roy Oswalt in the fold -- thanks to a one-year, $4.25 million contract -- the next questions all become about the man he replaces in the rotation.

What does the club do with Neftali Feliz when he returns from an elbow injury?

Providing he passes a physical on Thursday, Oswalt, 34, will join Class AAA Round Rock on Saturday and is expected to need three or four starts to be ready to return to the majors. That might be about the same time Feliz gets clearance to start throwing. Feliz is on a strict no-throw plan for at least three weeks and then will be re-evaluated. Feliz is not expected to return until after the All-Star break.

When he does return, though, will it be as a starter or as a reliever?

The Rangers' plan: They will cross that bridge when they get to it. In the meantime, they want to keep the rotation churning along.

"When Neftali got hurt, we looked at all our options and thought this was a pretty attractive one," general manager Jon Daniels said. "I don't think you can ever have too much pitching. With (Oswalt's) pedigree and what he's accomplished in the game, we think he's a nice addition.

"The focus is on getting Neftali healthy. The reality in this game is you just don't know what is going to happen. You need a lot of depth and a lot of talent to win."

The St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies and Los Angeles Dodgers all had shown interest in Oswalt, who was 9-10 with a 3.69 ERA with the Phillies in 2011. He was on the disabled list twice last season.

Oswalt, who sat out the first two months of the season, has developed a relationship with Rangers president Nolan Ryan, and he had said he wanted to play for a contending team close to his Mississippi home.

Oswalt threw for the Rangers in Mississippi on May 18, and that was the same night Feliz was injured.