The Rangers had been dealt a significant harm blow right this moment when DH Joc Pederson was hit by a pitch on this night’s loss to the White Sox. Pederson initially stayed within the sport however was later lifted for a pinch-hitter. Supervisor Bruce Bochy revealed to reporters (together with Shawn McFarland of the Dallas Morning Information) that Pederson suffered a fracture in his proper hand when he was struck by the pitch. Pederson instructed reporters, together with McFarland, that he expects a restoration timeline of six weeks for the harm.
It’s a blow to a Rangers membership that has already struggled to remain wholesome this yr. Pederson will now be a part of Corey Seager and Evan Carter on the shelf from the membership’s lineup, along with accidents suffered by reliever Chris Martin and starters Kumar Rocker, Jon Grey, and Cody Bradford. These accidents have contributed to Texas’s struggles this yr, as they’ve posted a lackluster 25-28 file that’s left them three video games out of each a Wild Card spot and the AL West. With Josh Smith masking for Seager at shortstop and Sam Haggerty holding down middle discipline rather than Carter, the Rangers will probably be compelled to get inventive with changing Pederson.
One choice may very well be first baseman Blaine Crim, who didn’t file successful in a five-game cup of espresso earlier this yr however sports activities a .301/.369/.558 slash line this yr. One other may very well be outfielder Dustin Harris, who has a 104 wRC+ in 45 journeys to the plate on the huge league degree and is the membership’s solely left-handed hitter already on the 40-man roster at Triple-A. Harris may very well be a very engaging choice if the Rangers want to persevering with beginning backup catcher Kyle Higashioka at DH in opposition to left-handed pitchers, a task which the membership is already carrying third catcher Tucker Barnhart as a way to accommodate on a extra common foundation.
Turning again to Pederson, it have to be acknowledged that for nonetheless a lot shedding his offensive prowess from the lineup might sting on paper he hasn’t delivered a lot manufacturing in his first season with the group. Signed to a two-year, $37MM assure over the winter, Pederson has hit a paltry .132/.266/.240 (51 wRC+) in 144 plate appearances so far within the season. That’s hardly manufacturing a membership will miss from their lineup, nevertheless it’s unlucky timing nonetheless giving that Pederson had simply begun to look extra like his regular self on the plate: he’s hitting .220/.429/.444 with 4 extra-base hits and an eye-popping 26.5% stroll price over his final 16 video games.
The Rangers can solely hope that he’ll be capable to decide again up proper the place he left off when he returns to motion later this summer time. A six week timetable would depart him poised to return in early July, shortly earlier than the All-Star break. Tough as his begin to the 2025 marketing campaign was, it goes with out saying that Pederson generally is a dynamic addition to just about any lineup when wholesome; whereas he virtually completely performs in opposition to right-handed pitching, the slugger slashed a superb .262/.365/.485 with a wRC+ of 135 and 61 homers in 387 video games over his final three seasons. That’s the Sixteenth-best wRC+ amongst all hitters with at the very least 1000 plate appearances in that span, sandwiched between Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Jose Ramirez on the leaderboard. If Pederson can supply that kind of manufacturing to the Rangers within the second half, it needs to be simple for followers to neglect his first-half struggles and harm woes as long as Texas hasn’t already fallen out of the playoff dialog earlier than he returns.
