The freak injury bug amongst Texas Rangers pitcher seems to be picking up steam.
Obviously, we all know how Derek Holland tripped over his dog, Wrigley, and injured his knee, requiring microfracture surgery that will shelf him until at least the all-star break. That's a killer.
Though it's less of a killer, another Rangers pitcher suffered an odd injury as reliever Joseph Ortiz had his foot run over by a motorcycle in his native Venezuela, and now he's on the mend for three months. Odds are, Ortiz wouldn't have started the season on the Rangers' big-league roster like he did last year, but he was in the mix for a spot in the bullpen.
Ortiz, of course, surprisingly made the Opening Day roster last year and was stellar for a month or so before hitters eventually figured him out and started mashing him. He eventually became an up-again-down-again pitcher as he bounced back and forth between Arlington and Round Rock, but he never was able to regain his early-season dominance.
The 22-year-old lefty finished 2013 with a 2-2 record and a 4.23 ERA in 32 appearances after going his first seven appearances with just one earned run allowed.
