SURPRISE, Ariz. - Saying he needed a "mental health" day to process his frustration and disappointment over being sent to the minors, Willie Calhoun returned to the Rangers' camp Saturday and pledged not to let the frustration bleed over into a season for the second consecutive year.

Calhoun, 24, was told he was being optioned to Triple-A Nashville on Thursday, not because of anything he failed to do this spring, but because there simply was not a fit on the Rangers opening day roster. He chose to take the rest of that day off after a long meeting with mental skills coach Josiah Igono. He then took Friday off, as well.

"I just needed a day, a mental health day, to gather my thoughts and myself," Calhoun said. "I will not let my play get affected and impact my play this season. I was disappointed, but I can't do anything about that. I still have to go do the work that I have to do. I do not want to let the start of the year derail the end for me."

Calhoun spent Friday evening reaching out to several Rangers' teammates, including Elvis Andrus and Nomar Mazara to discuss his actions. He also spoke to manager Chris Woodward and GM Jon Daniels.

"I told them that I didn't mean to disrespect anybody," Calhoun said. "My parents brought me up to be respectful."

Said Woodward: "I was really, really proud of him for reaching out. I had been concerned. ... I want to see him play. I feel he's ready to play in the majors. We just didn't have a fit. It's his responsibility to take care of the work. And I expect he will fully live up to the promises and make this a non-issue. But I told him that it does matter how you handle things in the beginning, too."

The lesson: Calhoun allowed this to become an issue for 48 hours with what could be described as an immature immediate reaction. He's hardly the first player with significant Triple-A experience at a young age to fail to make the opening day roster. But, unlike last year, he quickly sought to diffuse the issue from becoming larger. It was likely uncomfortable to reach out to players and staff alike, but it's also in-line with manager Chris Woodward's team-wide challenge of "being comfortable being uncomfortable."

A year ago, Calhoun reported to camp out of shape and was among one of the team's first cuts. He admittedly sulked into the season and it led to a .229 April at Triple-A. He admittedly snapped out of the funk in mid-May and hit .313 over the last four months of the minor league season.

After being bluntly challenged by the Rangers, he lost 24 pounds over the offseason and worked hard with instructor Jayce Tingler. While his spring training offensive statistics did not show results, the Rangers were pleased with his progress and his dedication to the process they put in place.

Calhoun has also indicated he would like to try to learn the other outfield positions to increase his versatility, which would potentially accelerate his chances to have an expanded role in the majors.

Twitter: @Evan_P_Grant