Rangers followers have been dealt a significant damage scare final night time when star shortstop Corey Seager went down after being struck on the wrist by a pitch from Orioles lefty Cade Povich. Seager instantly exited the sport however thankfully Rangers supervisor Bruce Bochy confirmed to reporters final night time that preliminary x-rays got here again unfavorable. That indicated that the runner-up for the 2023 AL MVP award seemingly had prevented a worst case state of affairs, although the Rangers nonetheless deliberate to guage him additional at present.
Mentioned analysis may have been extra encouraging. As famous by Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning Information earlier at present, Bochy instructed reporters previous to at present’s sport towards Baltimore that Seager was nonetheless feeling “fairly sore” and that the membership is planning to have him endure an MRI examination tomorrow when the membership returns house to Texas. Even when the MRI comes again clear, nevertheless, Bochy admitted that Seager goes to be out for at the very least “the following couple of days” even in an best possible case state of affairs.
The Rangers referred to as up infielder Jonathan Ornelas previous to tonight’s sport to function an additional infield choice whereas Seager nurses his damage, however the 24-year-old teen has simply 9 plate appearances to his identify on the massive league stage and a lackluster 66 wRC+ on the Triple-A stage this yr. That leaves him unlikely to influence the membership on greater than an emergency foundation, and if Seager have been to go on the injured listing the membership would possible name up utility bat Ezequiel Duran to fill in on the infield as a substitute. It’s attainable Duran would’ve been recalled as a substitute of Ornelas if not for Duran being optioned to the minors simply final week, that means he can’t return to the large leagues for ten days until changing a participant headed to the IL.
Whereas the information regarded Seager definitely could possibly be higher, Rangers followers have additionally obtained constructive information concerning the standing of a handful of rehabbing pitchers in latest days. As famous by Grant, right-hander Tyler Mahle threw a bullpen yesterday and is slated to start a rehab task subsequent week as he makes his approach again from Tommy John surgical procedure. Mahle went beneath the knife on the identical day as prime pitching prospect Kumar Rocker, who will begin a rehab task of his personal in rookie ball someday subsequent week. In accordance with Grant, Bochy indicated that each Mahle and Rocker are primarily going to be on the schedule of a starter ramping up throughout Spring Coaching, that means that Mahle could possibly be an choice to affix the Rangers rotation someday after the All Star break.
Mahle signed with the Rangers on a two-year deal this previous offseason whereas rehabbing the aforementioned Tommy John surgical procedure and has lengthy appeared ticketed for a return in some unspecified time in the future within the season half of this yr. The 29-year-old has usually been a stable mid-to-back of the rotation arm when wholesome sufficient to take the mound, with a 3.90 ERA (117 ERA+) and three.86 FIP throughout 374 innings of labor whereas hanging out a stable 21.7% of batters for the reason that begin of the 2020 season. Well being has been the first query concerning Mahle within the latest years of his profession, as he’s solely made it to 30 begins as soon as (a 33-start marketing campaign in 2021) in his eight years as an enormous leaguer. Ought to he keep wholesome sufficient to contribute, Mahle figures to offer the Rangers further rotation depth behind their present group of Max Scherzer, Jon Grey, Nathan Eovaldi, Andrew Heaney, and Michael Lorenzen.
As for Rocker, the right-hander was among the many best-regarded prospects in each the 2021 and 2022 drafts. He was chosen tenth total out of Vanderbilt within the 2021 draft by the Mets however ended up not signing over issues concerning his elbow, main the Rangers to select him third total the next yr. Rocker posted a stable 3.86 ERA in six begins with the Rangers on the Excessive-A stage final yr earlier than going beneath the knife again in Might, hanging out a improbable 37.9% of batters confronted on the stage. Now 24, Rocker figures to renew his ascent up the minor league ladder upon his return to motion. Whereas it appears unlikely that he would issue into the membership’s plans on the massive league stage this yr given his lack of professional expertise, it’s simple to think about the righty debuting within the majors as quickly as subsequent season if he sports activities the identical high-octane stuff he flashed within the minors and the SEC previous to his surgical procedure.
