By Martin Iheke
Your Texas Rangers continue to make news off the field rather than on it as they look to finish a very disappointing, injury-riddled season. They made a couple of trades involving the catcher position by sending Geovany Soto to division-rival Oakland Athletics for cash considerations this past Sunday. They also traded backup catcher Chris Gimenez to the Cleveland Indians for future considerations the day before. These moves look to be salary dumps for this season.
In other news, pitcher Derek Holland was scratched in his recent rehab start for Triple-A Round Rock because of back spasms. He was sent back to Dallas to receive treatment. The question now is will he be available come September 1 when the roster expands from 25 to 40? According to dallasnews.com, the Rangers can put him on the active roster or the disabled list when his rehab assignment ends on Thursday. He does have the option to continue rehabbing in the minors only as an option assignment should he elect to go in that direction. Also, the club is still uncertain on whether Yu Darvish will pitch again this season. Darvish has a sore right elbow and has not pitched since August 9. I still think it would be in the best interest for the Rangers to shut Darvish down for the season. There is no need to risk throwing him back out there and worsening the injury especially since this season is lost already.
As for on the field, the Rangers finished the week with a 2-3 record against the Miami Marlins and the American League Central Division-leading Kansas City Royals. The Rangers split the two-game series in Miami losing, 4-3, in 10 innings last Tuesday night and then beat them, 5-4, the next day. Rangers starting pitcher Nick Martinez was superb in his return visit to his hometown going six innings, giving up two runs off six hits while striking out seven. “It was great,” Martinez said according to MLB.com. “It was very special, getting to pitch where it all started. That was cool and to come out on top, it was a great day for everybody,” as he continued. The Rangers returned home for a brief three-game series against the Royals losing the first two games of the series before salvaging the final game, 3-1, to avoid the sweep. It would be the 50th win of the season for the Rangers. Last season, they won their 50th game about a month and a half sooner on July 5, 2013. Their record stands at 50-79 which is the worst in all of baseball. The Dallas Morning News has an article out on how the Rangers have fallen from being almost on the cusp of winning it all to the worst record in three years here. I know… it is painful to look at.
The Rangers hit the road for a three-game series at the Seattle Mariners, who hold the second wild card spot in the American League, on Monday night. Then they travel down to Houston to start a four-game series against the Astros on Thursday night.
Upcoming Schedule
8/25 @Mariners 9:10 p.m.
8/26 @Mariners 9:10 p.m.
8/27 @Mariners 2:40 p.m.
8/28 @Astros 7:10 p.m.
8/29 @Astros 7:10 p.m.
8/30 @Astros 6:10 p.m.
8/31 @Astros 1:10 p.m.
