Rangers get injury update on key player

The Texas Rangers and Detroit Tigers are currently battling it out in the Motor City. Ahead of Saturday’s game at Comerica Park, the Rangers provided an update on their catcher, Kyle Higashioka.

Higashioka is on the 10-day IL with a mild left intercostal strain. He suffered that injury during the series against the Athletics. Now, Higashioka is slated to begin his rehab assignment tonight for the Round Rock Express, the Triple-A affiliate of the Rangers. The Express are in El Paso, Texas, playing the AAA affiliate of the San Diego Padres.

This season, Higashioka is hitting .254 with one home run and eight RBIs. He adds a .669 OPS, five doubles, and three runs scored in 17 games.

It’s been a small sample size, but Higashioka is playing up to par on what the Rangers asked for him. They will benefit from his return. The catcher signed a 2-year, $13 million deal with Texas this past offseason and was the starting catcher on opening day.

Texas is just 18-21 this season. Coming off a World Series run two years ago, the Rangers are expected to be a competitive team and a World Series contender. They play in a competitive division that is wide open. Currently, the Seattle Mariners are atop the AL West by three games, however, the Houston Astros and A’s are tied for second, and the Rangers are 4th, just five games out of first. There is plenty of time for the Rangers to climb the standings, but they need to be healthy in order to do so.

Two standouts from that championship run two years ago are having tough seasons. Both Marcus Semien (.175) and Adolis Garcia (.226) lead the team in ABs but they have failed to produce at a high level. They have combined to strike out 66 times and have a combined seven homers and 34 RBIs through 39 games.

Wyatt Langford has been a bright spot for the Rangers, hitting .269, and adds a .823 OPS, six homers, 14 RBIs, and a 1.4 WAR.