Already feeling the sting of another Yu Darvish almost no-hitter and losing two of three to the Red Sox to fall into fourth place in the AL West and back to .500 for the first time since being 7-7 on April 15, the Rangers’ string of bad injury news continues.
They’ve already used 37 players this season, tied with the Angels for the most in the majors. That will increase to 38 Wednesday when Nick Tepesch makes a spot start in Houston. And it could continue to jump.
After yesterday’s 5-2 loss to Boston the Rangers announced that Martin Perez will miss at least one start with inflammation in his left elbow. A trip to the disabled list is possible. And that ominous news on the heels of Darvish being pushed back in the wake of throwing 126 pitches in an attempt to no-hit the Red Sox Friday night.
Even though .500 in mid-May isn’t time for panic, this Rangers’ season feels like it keeps stopping before it can start.
“There’s a lot of baseball left to play and that’s what we’ve got to focus on,” manager Ron Washington told reporters in announcing the Perez setback. “We’ve still got 25 guys, and we’ll still put nine on the field every night and do the best we can.”
There is good news: The Rangers begin a three-game series in Houston Monday against the lowly Astros. For a hobbled, scuffling team, it’s just what the doctor ordered.
A native Texan who was born in Duncanville and graduated from UT-Arlington, Richie Whitt has been a mainstay in the Metroplex media since 1986. He’s held prominent roles on all media platforms including newspaper (Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Dallas Observer), radio (105.3 The Fan) and TV (co-host on TXA 21 and numerous guest appearances, including NBC 5). He currently lives in McKinney with his wife, Sybil, and two very spoiled dogs.
