The events of the past couple of years have not been easy. Whether you’re a major league baseball player or not, the COVID-19 pandemic has put up roadblocks for everyone. As far as baseball goes, it seems like we see guys go on the COVID list every day. The Texas Rangers are one of the teams that have had to utilize this list recently. It is worth mentioning that this is more of a COVID-related list. It is standard procedure that the health and vaccination status of these players remains confidential. So, it appears this is mostly a precaution. Nevertheless, it needs to be taken seriously.
Four Key Players
In the aftermath of Monday evening’s postponed contest, the Rangers put left-handers Drew Anderson and Mike Foltynewicz on the COVID shelf. They also had to send infielder Brock Holt to the list as well. Overall, the Rangers currently have four players on this list. They recently had to put third baseman, Charlie Culberson, on the list as well. Catcher Jonah Heim is in COVID protocols, but he isn’t on the list at the moment. No matter the condition, it always hurts when a team has to put that many players on the IL. While it is true that the Rangers aren’t having the greatest season, they would still prefer to have as many hands-on-deck as possible.
Roster Moves
To fill the vacant spots on the roster, the Texas Rangers have recalled a couple of guys from the minor leagues. They brought up left-hander Wes Benjamin and infielder Curtis Terry from Triple-A Round Rock. They were expected to be at Fenway Park on Monday prior to the start of the Rangers’ series finale against the Boston Red Sox. Another roster move will be made prior to Tuesday’s series opener at Progressive Field against the Cleveland Indians.
Statement From the Skipper
The Texas Rangers are not taking this matter lightly by any means. Manager Chris Woodward went on record with a statement this week.
“We have players who are in the COVID protocols right now,” Young said. And certainly, it’s a situation that we’re trying to manage as proactively as we can. That said, we assume this is a Delta variant, and it is strong. So while we have vaccinated players, and several unvaccinated as well, we want to protect everybody just the same.
What’s Next
The Rangers have less than 40 games remaining on the 2021 schedule. Woodward stressed that his team knows how serious this is. Everyone in the organization is taking every precaution necessary to make sure this doesn’t spread. “If they have to miss 10 days or however many days they’re out, they understand the importance of that right now,” Woodward said. “We have less than 40 games … for them to miss 10, it could cost them their job. I don’t think I have to explain anything to these guys. They’ve got to obviously do their part.”
Main Photo:
Embed from Getty Images
Players Mentioned:
Drew Anderson, Mike Foltynewicz, Brock Holt, Charlie Culberson, Jonah Heim, Wes Benjamin, Curtis Terry
