Tuesday Newsletter time: Staying healthy was key to Texas Rangers’ rebuild. They actually pulled it off.
Major injuries and operations, including Tommy John surgery, were largely avoided throughout the organization.
A critical component to the Texas Rangers’ rebuilding plan for 2021, and going forward, was keeping players healthy.
The vast majority of minor-leaguers missed all of 2020 because of the pandemic and needed to play. The goal of the major-league team was to give as many players as much evaluation time as possible, which is hard to do when someone is on the injured list.
But because of 2020, which also shortened the MLB season by 102 games, some players had to be kept on a leash. That was especially so for pitchers to protect them for a longer haul.
An injury in 2021 would really knock a player off track.
The Rangers, Team Tommy John, had a very good year on the health front.
The most costly injury was to right-hander Kyle Cody, who pitched sparinginly in 2020 after missing 2018 and 2019 because for Tommy John surgery. He injured his shoulder early this season, and after months of rehab, finally underwent surgery last week for a labral debridement.
He’ll be out until the middle of 2022.
The Rangers are also Team Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, and right-hander Kohei Arihara and left-hander John King, both underwent a form of the surgery that repairs it. So did shortstop prospect Max Acosta, cutting short his first professional season.
Ronald Guzman missed nearly all of the season with a knee injury that has put his future with the team in doubt.
There were some injuries in the minors of concern, namely to right-hander T.K. Roby (elbow), outfielder Evan Carter (back) and shortstop Chris Seise (knee). Josh Jung (foot) and Sam Huff (knee), two of the Rangers’ top prospects, missed time early in the season because of injuries during spring training.
Huff’s injury kept him from catching this season and will almost certainly force him to start 2022 in the minor leagues.
He and Justin Foscue, who missed time in May and June, are going to play in the Arizona Fall League to catch up on at-bats along with right-hander Owen White, who needs to catch up innings after breaking his hand in May.
That’s pretty long list, though not as long or as severe as in past seasons. The Rangers will take that.
Ex-Rangers still going
Guess who is back in the playoffs, though it’s entirely possible for only one game?
Rougned Odor. That might make some of you bang your heads against a wall, but he and other former Rangers Joey Gallo, Joely Rodriguez and Corey Kluber are headed to the American League wild-card game with the New York Yankees against the Boston Red Sox. Darren O’Day is on the Yankees’ 60-day injured list.
The Red Sox have two former Rangers players, left-hander Martin Perez and outfielder Danny Santana. He’s on he injured list, and Perez could be left off the postseason roster.
Nelson Cruz and reliever Pete Fairbanks are members of the AL East-winning Tampa Bay Rays. Tommy Hunter is on the 60-day IL. Cruz is the best player in Rangers postseason history.
The only ex-Rangers player on the Houston Astros roster is reliever Rafael Montero, and he’s on the 60-day IL. The Chicago White Sox have Lance Lynn and Leury Garcia.
Over in the National League, the Atlanta Braves have four former Rangers pitchers — Jesse Chavez, Luke Jackson, Chris Martin and Drew Smyly. The Los Angeles Dodgers have Cole Hamels, who is on the 60-day IL, and Corey Knebel, who was involved in two Rangers trades but never pitched for them.
The San Francisco Giants have catcher Curt Casali, who spent time in spring training in 2018. The Milwaukee Brewers have catcher Manny Pina, a former Rangers minor-leaguer, and the St. Louis Cardinals have pitcher Miles Mikolas, who pitched in 2014.
The playoff teams have several former Rangers coaches or players on their coaching staffs. No. 1 on the list is Ron Washington, the best manager in Rangers history who is coaching third base for the Braves.
A close second is Mike Maddux, who is the Cardinals’ pitching coach. He’s been to the postseason in 10 of 14 seasons, 11 of 14 if you include the postseason play-in game the Rangers played in 2013.
Gary Pettis is still coaching outfielders and third base for the Astros, the role he had with the Rangers under Washington. Pettis also played for the Rangers.
So did Alex Cora, Will Venable, Dave Bush, Tom Goodwin and Ramon Vazquez, all Red Sox coaches (Cora is the manager). Yankees coaches Phil Nevin and Marcus Thames spent time with the Rangers, as did Braves coach Eric Young Sr. Former Rangers manager Jerry Narron is on the White Sox’s staff.
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Doggy video!
Our Lily dog hasn’t gone this far, but she does bark if she’s not getting the attention she thinks she deserves. Enjoy. See you Wednesday.
Isn't Joely Rodriguez still with the Yankees? That would be another ex-Ranger in the post season. I'd love to see Joey or Rougy contribute big tonight.