1 Day After Signing, Pudge Ready to Bat

Ivan Rodriguez is back in the starting lineup for the Texas Rangers, a day after rejoining his old team in a trade with Houston.

The popular catcher known by his childhood nickname "Pudge" will hit eighth in Wednesday night's game against the Minnesota Twins. It'll be his first start for Texas since 2002.

Rodriguez won 10 of his 13 Gold Gloves during 11 seasons with the Rangers from 1991-2002. He also carried a powerful bat, hitting over .300 his last eight seasons with the Rangers and finishing his first Texas stint with 215 home runs.

The 14-time All-Star hit his 300th home run while with the Astros in May. He takes a .299 career batting average into Wednesday night's game. He's the backup to Taylor Teagarden.

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