The Rangers have activated outfielder/DH Shin-Soo Choo from the 10-day injured list, and the veteran slugger will be in the lineup for what might be his last game in a Texas uniform. To create roster space for Choo, infielder Sherten Apostel was placed on the 10-day IL with lower back tightness.
A right hand has kept Choo out of action since September 7, and the 38-year-old has a .229/.317/.394 slash line over 126 plate appearances for Texas this season. While Choo has said that he wants to keep playing in 2021, Sunday's game could serve as something of a final bow on his seven seasons with the Rangers. Choo signed a seven-year, $130M free-agent contract during the 2013-14 offseason that ultimately didn’t provide the return Texas was looking for in such a big investment.
Choo has hit a decent but unspectacular .260/.363/.428 over 3,479 PA for the Rangers, good for an 109 OPS+ and 111 wRC+. This production was rather offset, however, by subpar defense in the corner outfield, and Choo spent quite a bit of time as a designated hitter. All told, Choo has generated 8.8 fWAR as a Ranger.
It remains to be seen if a player of Choo’s age and somewhat limited skillset will be able to catch on with another team in 2021, but his left-handed bat is still quite potent against right-handed pitching. Choo has consistently mashed righties over his career, and even in this down year still has a .766 OPS in 88 PA against right-handers.
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