HOUSTON -- The story of Hunter Pence’s comeback is the kind of thing somebody could make a film about.

Somebody did: Pence.

The Pence Method, a 22-minute documentary which airs on FS1 at 9 p.m. Saturday, tells the story of Pence’s emotional departure from San Francisco at the end of last season, through his attempts to remake his swing with hitting instructor Doug Latta and by playing in the Dominican Republic, and to overcoming long odds to win a spot with the Rangers. The story ends, however, before Pence wins election as an AL All-Star starter.

The idea for the film came from Pence.

Though he intended to keep playing after a disappointing 2018 season, the Giants all but staged a retirement party for him, complete with a going away scooter. The film begins with Pence riding the scooter off the field after the Giants final home game and into an uncertain future.

“I wanted to document the journey, regardless of what happened,” Pence said this week. “In a worst-case scenario, I’d have something on how I studied hitting. I thought it was a cool story. But we had no idea what to expect.”

The film shows Pence as determined, emotional and joyous. Pence and his wife of two years, Lexi, break down in tears at one point over a merely encouraging phone call from his agent, even though, at another, Pence, from the driver’s seat of his SUV, yells excitedly at his agent, Danny Horwits, after a deal with the Rangers is consummated. Horwits negotiated a clause in the deal that includes an incentive if Pence wins Comeback Player of the Year.

“Yeah, we’re gonna win some awards!” Pence shouts into the speaker.

“The message of the doc is trusting yourself and your process (or method),” said Josh Kahn, who directed the documentary for the athlete-driven Uninterrupted production company. “Sometimes that requires taking a step back to take two steps forward.”

Pence has often referred to the comeback attempt as an “adventure.”

And while that was easier for him to accept, it was more difficult for his wife, Lexi, who accompanied him to the Dominican Republic. Lexi said she struggled with anxiety attacks throughout the 2018 season and again during the unknown of the winter.

“It was a difficult time,” Lexi Pence said. “It felt like we were being left behind a little. I felt a little lost. I was stressed for him. When your partner works so hard, you go all in, too. We had no real Plan B. I’m a planner. This ended up being a great reminder that you don’t always have to plan. It was a great life lesson for me.”

Hunter Pence hopes there is also a lesson in it for anybody who watches the documentary.

“If there is the slightest message of inspiration in it for even one person, that would mean a lot to me,” Pence said. “If somebody says you can’t do something, you know you can go for what you want. If you want it, go for it. I’m glad we put all the work in. I feel like we learned great life lessons.”

Briefly: The Rangers will shift RHP Jesse Chavez, who did not make it out of the first inning Wednesday, back to the bullpen. LHP Joe Palumbo will be recalled from Triple-A Nashville to make the Monday start. RHP Adrian Sampson, who has been pitching as a long reliever for the past 10 days, will return to the rotation Tuesday.

Thanks to a recent spate of strikeouts, the Rangers began Friday as the MLB leader in hitter strikeouts with 966. It puts them on pace to set an MLB record for strikeouts in a season. The Chicago White Sox had 1,594 last year. The record has been broken in each of the last three seasons.

Twitter: @Evan_P_Grant