Rangers to Promote Veteran Slugging First Baseman on Minor League Contract

According to a report from MLB Network insider Jon Heyman, the Texas Rangers are promoting veteran first baseman Rowdy Tellez to the team's Major League roster.

Tellez, who joined the organization on a minor league contract earlier this month, would step in for the injured Jake Burger, who was placed on the 10-day injured list with a left quad strain on Wednesday night.

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A 30-year-old native of California, Tellez began the season with the Seattle Mariners, where he produced a slash line of .208/.249/.434 across 62 games while hitting 11 home runs.

While Tellez's numbers are down compared to his career norms this season, his 11 home runs would put him in a tie for fifth on the Rangers with Burger, who has played in 13 more games.

Tellez hit 13 home runs in 2024 while a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates, but his best campaign came in 2022 in the midst of a three-year tenure with the Milwaukee Brewers.

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That season, he hit 35 homers and drove in 89 runs while posting a .767 OPS.

In a career that began in 2018 with the Toronto Blue Jays, Tellez has clubbed 116 home runs and owns a career slugging percentage of .436.

Despite the fact that Tellez has not been at his best this season, the move could still serve to spark a dormant Rangers offense.

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Texas currently sits 25th in all of MLB in team OPS, a factor that has derailed a season that could be going swimmingly thanks to consistently outstanding efforts from the team's pitching staff.

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