May 20, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; Texas Rangers manager Bruce Bochy (15) argues with home plate umpire Carlos Torres (37) after being ejected during the sixth inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Legendary Rangers Skipper Explains Reasoning Behind Recent Shift in Lineup

Originally posted on Texas Rangers on SI | By Jacob Moss | Last updated May 24, 2025 9:00 PM ET

The Texas Rangers have been struggling at the plate all season long, and the issue has become so pressing that it forced legendary manager Bruce Bochy to finally shift around his lineup on Friday night against the Chicago White Sox.

The shakeup involved moving struggling clean-up hitter Adolis Garcia down to the eight spot and slotting Marcus Semien right behind him at nine after an equally abysmal start at the plate.

Why Bruce Bochy Changed His Rangers Lineup Again

According to MLB.com's Kennedi Landry, Bochy explained the reasoning behind the shift. He said that while the move was undoubtedly a difficult decision, it was the correct one, given their recent struggles at the top of the order.

“You never like to move two of your star players that helped lead you to a World Series championship,” Bochy said. “I'm a big believer in mixing it up. Maybe it’ll get them going. Maybe it’ll get us going.

Bochy also said that he discussed the decision with both players and felt it was best for the team while both worked through their slumps.

“I talked to both of them,” Bochy said. “They’re both trying to find their swing right now. We went ahead with the guys swinging pretty good at the top of the order to see if we can find a way to get more consistent scoring runs."

While the reasoning behind the shakeup was sound, it did very little to help jumpstart the team or the players. The Rangers suffered an embarrassing 4-1 loss to the Chicago White Sox in a game where Garcia and Semien were a combined 0-6 at the plate.

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It's clear that Texas will need to do a bit more than shuffling the lineup around to find consistency at the plate. While there is still a ton of work to be done, though, Bochy is far from throwing in the towel on his guys.

“You stay behind them,” Bochy said. “Every team goes through these things. This is the tough part about this game. That's why you got to have that toughness, that resilience to find a way to bounce back. The guys that can do it. This is when they need to know you're behind them, and we believe in them.”

The return of star shortstop Corey Seager could hopefully provide another boost to the lineup, but in the meantime Texas will have to continue tinkering with the players they currently have. Seager took live batting practice on Saturday in Chicago.

It will be interesting to see just how long Bochy decides to keep Garcia and Semien at the bottom of the lineup, and whether or not the move will be enough to finally get them back on track.

This article first appeared on Texas Rangers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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