After expressing his frustration with being benched for two games in favor of 23-year-old Jurickson Profar, Prince Fielder made his return to the Rangers' lineup on Monday night to open a four-game set against the Astros.
And early results of the eye test show the "unplugging" of Fielder was a good thing.
The struggling designated hitter, who is in a season-long slump after winning AL Comeback Player of the Year in 2015, hit sixth in the order and actually played first base while fellow struggler Mitch Moreland sat. Fielder struggled at first base, but he had a nice night at the plate.
He had an RBI single in the first inning and had another single later in the game. He did it while featuring a mild adjustment to his swing by eliminating his leg kick and instead doing more of a "foot lift."
Will the adjustment last? Maybe not, but it's a promising development for a guy the Rangers are desperate to get going, even if "get going" means hitting .275ish from here on out and hitting singles and doubles instead of the vintage Prince hitting bombs.
They just need something from him, and Monday night's effort was encouraging.
