Rangers Notes: Seager, Mahle, Rocker

Rangers followers had been dealt a serious harm scare final evening 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 evening that preliminary x-rays got here again adverse. That indicated that the runner-up for the 2023 AL MVP award seemingly had averted a worst case state of affairs, although the Rangers nonetheless deliberate to judge him additional in the present day.

Stated analysis may have been extra encouraging. As famous by Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News earlier in the present day, Bochy advised reporters previous to in the present day’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 dwelling to Texas. Even when the MRI comes again clear, nevertheless, Bochy admitted that Seager goes to be out for not less than “the following couple of days” even in an very best 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 harm, however the 24-year-old teenager 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 affect the membership on greater than an emergency foundation, and if Seager had been to go on the injured checklist the membership would probably name up utility bat Ezequiel Duran to fill in on the infield as an alternative. It’s potential Duran would’ve been recalled as an alternative of Ornelas if not for Duran being optioned to the minors simply final week, which means he can’t return to the large leagues for ten days except changing a participant headed to the IL.

Whereas the information regarded Seager actually may very well be higher, Rangers followers have additionally acquired constructive information concerning the standing of a handful of rehabbing pitchers in latest days. As noted by Grant, right-hander Tyler Mahle threw a bullpen yesterday and is slated to start a rehab project subsequent week as he makes his manner again from Tommy John surgical procedure. Mahle went below the knife on the identical day as high pitching prospect Kumar Rocker, who will begin a rehab project of his personal in rookie ball someday subsequent week. In line with Grant, Bochy indicated that each Mahle and Rocker are basically going to be on the schedule of a starter ramping up throughout Spring Coaching, which means that Mahle may very well 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 typically 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 putting 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 supply the Rangers extra rotation depth behind their present group of Max Scherzer, Jon Gray, 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 considerations 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 below the knife again in Could, putting 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.