The Texas Rangers got a little better last night with their win over the Cincinnati Reds. With the All-Star Game on the horizon, the Rangers now have a ten game lead on the Seattle Mariners. They have not traveled an easy road in the process of building that lead, however. Injuries have plagued the Rangers rotation all season.
Texas Rangers Injury Woes Continue
Yesterday the Rangers received more bad news about their rotation. The team added both Derek Holland (shoulder stiffness) and Colby Lewis to the disabled list. Lewis left his start on Tuesday night after looking nothing like his usual self on the mound. Making matters worse, reports indicate that Lewis will be out for two months. Lewis has had a phenomenal season to this point, and his absence in the rotation will be evident.
So far this season, the Rangers have been able to put Band-Aids on the holes in their rotation. Still, the additions of Holland and Lewis to the DL may truly cripple the team. Jon Daniels and Jeff Banister have a challenge ahead as they try to navigate these injuries.
Reinforcements on the Horizon
Yu Darvish is staring to throw long toss, and should begin his rehab assignment soon. Darvish should return either right before or after the All Star Break. They also have A.J. Griffin scheduled to return for the series against the Boston Red Sox. The Rangers signed Griffin in the off-season. He was having a stellar beginning to the year before landing on the DL with right shoulder stiffness. Griffin sat at 3-0 when he got injured, and carried a nice sub-3.00 ERA. Griffin is injury prone, and has already had two Tommy John surgeries. If the Rangers can keep him healthy when he returns, they should be able to reap the rewards of his pitching.
The team expects to use Griffin as soon as the weekend. The Rangers will also be relying on Nick Martinez to provide some stability for the rotation. Martinez is a hit-or-miss pitcher who is usually either lights out or lit up. Texas plans on using both this weekend in the series against the Red Sox, according to T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com.
The Rangers have two things going for them that should help them weather this small storm of injuries. The first is the lineup, which ranks in the top-ten in the league. They are finding ways to manufacture runs and help their pitchers out. The Rangers farm system is another thing that they have going for them. They are flush with talent, and should be able to fill any position in the event of injury.
It is scary to think just how good this team is going to be when they are one hundred percent healthy. If teams weren’t paying attention to the Rangers before, they should be now. Jon Daniels has built a roster that should go on a long run in the playoffs this fall. Rangers fans should be excited with the potential this team has to win it all.
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