Injuries & Moves: Seager activated; Huff optioned
LATEST NEWS
May 17: SS Corey Seager activated off 10-day IL; C Sam Huff optioned to Triple-A Round Rock
Seager landed on the IL with a left hamstring strain on April 12. The 29-year-old shortstop got off to a hot start this season, hitting .359 with a 1.007 OPS before landing the injury, though he returns to a Rangers lineup that has gone 20-12 without him.
Huff went just 2-for-10 with one RBI over five games with the Rangers since he was recalled from Triple-A Round Rock last week. He spent the rest of the year with the Express, hitting .267 with five home runs over 22 games with the Express.
May 16: RHP Joe Barlow recalled from Triple-A Round Rock; LHP Cody Bradford optioned
Barlow joined the Rangers for his first stint of the season after spending much of 2021-22 with the big league club. The right-hander’s velocity was down in Spring Training, so he stayed in Arizona to do work in the pitching lab when the team returned to Texas before joining Round Rock to begin the Minor League season. With the Express, he went 2-0 with a 2.63 ERA over 11 relief appearances (four earned runs in 13 2/3 innings). Manager Bruce Bochy said he is comfortable putting Barlow in high-leverage situations right out of the gate. He compiled 24 saves with Texas in 2021-22.
Bradford made a spot start in his MLB debut on Monday, taking the loss after allowing six runs in five innings to open the series against the Braves. He has spent the rest of the season at Triple-A, going 5-1 with a 0.91 ERA over seven starts.
INJURY UPDATES
10-day and 15-day IL
RHP Jacob deGrom (right elbow inflammation)
Expected return: TBD
deGrom will miss another couple of weeks, manager Bruce Bochy said. The Rangers’ ace threw a light bullpen session on May 16, per GM Chris Young, but no firm timetable has been established yet.
“Today was positive,” Young said. “We'll see how he feels coming in tomorrow and determine the next steps.”
The Rangers' ace left his April 28 start against the Yankees in the fourth inning with what was announced postgame as right forearm tightness. He went on the IL the following day after an MRI showed elbow inflammation. deGrom also left his start on April 17 against the Royals due to right wrist soreness, but he returned for his next scheduled outing against the A’s on April 23. (Last updated: May 16)
OF Travis Jankowski (right hamstring strain)
Expected return: Late May
General manager Chris Young said that Jankowski would not be ready when he is eligible to come off the IL on May 17. The outfielder is “doing well,” but the staff is still tracking his progress. They will continue to evaluate in the coming days and see if they can start getting him at-bats.
Jankowski left the May 7 series finale against the Angels with right hamstring tightness. Manager Bruce Bochy said Jankowski has been ramping up his activity but will likely need a rehab assignment, pushing his timeline back to at least a week after he is eligible to return. Jankowski has hit .309 with five doubles, one triple, nine RBIs and five stolen bases in 25 games so far this season. (Last updated: May 15)
C Mitch Garver (mild left knee sprain)
Expected return: Late May
General manager Chris Young said that Garver continues to make progress, but the Rangers are still “a couple weeks away at a minimum from him going out on rehab.” Manager Bruce Bochy said May 23 is still the hopeful target date for his rehab assignment. The catcher tweaked his left knee while running from first to second on a ground ball during the April 8 game against the Cubs at Wrigley Field. The team sent him for an MRI exam that revealed a mild knee sprain, but he said he was feeling better each day and expects to return soon. (Last updated: May 15)
60-day IL
RHP Spencer Howard (right shoulder impingement)
Expected return: TBD
Howard made just two Cactus League appearances this spring, allowing two runs in four innings, before being shut down with a shoulder injury. General manager Chris Young said prior to the start of the regular season that Howard was back throwing and making good progress, but he experienced a setback in recent weeks, leading to his transfer to the 60-day IL on April 10. (Last updated: April 10)
RHP Jake Odorizzi (right shoulder fatigue)
Expected return: 2024
Odorizzi will miss the entire 2023 season after undergoing an arthroscopic debridement procedure on his right shoulder. The right-hander entered camp with shoulder fatigue and did not throw against live batters at all this spring. General manager Chris Young said that, after continued evaluation, team physician Dr. Keith Meister decided they had exhausted all non-surgical options for his rehab. (Last updated: April 7)
RHP Glenn Otto (sprained right shoulder capsule)
Expected return: Late May at the earliest
Otto was scheduled to start on March 18 against the Angels, but he was scratched after experiencing "right lat tightness" when warming up in the bullpen. General manager Chris Young said after an MRI that the injury was actually a sprained shoulder capsule, and Otto will be out longer than expected. The right-hander was competing for a spot in Texas' bullpen after the club's offseason additions pushed him down the rotation depth chart. He has allowed 11 runs in 8 1/3 innings this spring. (Last updated: March 25)
LHP Brett Martin (left shoulder)
Expected return: Mid-2023
Martin’s health was addressed during the salary negotiation in arbitration; he underwent surgery on his left shoulder in late January. The timeline for his return is unclear, but he is expected to miss some of the 2023 season. Martin posted a 4.14 ERA out of the bullpen in 2022, but he landed on the IL with a strained left shoulder in late September. He was moved to the 60-day IL on Feb. 17 to make room for outfielder Robbie Grossman on the 40-man roster. Martin last pitched on Sept. 16. (Last updated: Feb. 25)