Tuesday newsletter time: The one play Monday that left Texas Rangers manager Chris Woodward miffed

Yonny Hernandez found himself in the same situation as the one he flubbed Friday, and it went even worse.

Rangers rookie Yonny Hernandez found himself a pickle in the fifth inning Monday and in a pickle with manager Chris Woodward (The Associated Press/Michael Dwyer).

Statistics don’t tell the full story, Texas Rangers brass have said all season in regards to the young players who are being given a chance to show their worth.

Manager Chris Woodward, for instance, wants to see how players go about their daily work, how they are dealing with their struggles and how well they learn from their mistakes.

Mistakes are OK, but a player who continues to make the same ones over and over again might not get many more chances.

Yonny Hernandez didn’t do himself any favors Monday afternoon at Fenway Park.

The second baseman, who has been in the majors about three weeks, failed for the second time in three games to get a runner home with a bunt while also moving a runner at first base to second.

It happened Monday in the fifth inning, when Hernandez’s bunt was too hard and Nick Solak was out at home after a rundown. Hernandez then was tagged out in another rundown.

Rather than the Rangers scoring the tying run, the play turned into an inning-ending double play.

“That's not a physical mistake,” Woodward said. “That's a complete mental lapse right there.”

Hernandez made a similar mistake Friday, bunting a ball too hard that led to interference being called on Yohel Pozo for the second out of the inning. Jonah Heim, the runner at third, by rule had to return to third base rather than scoring a run.

Woodward said that the mistake was explained in detail to Hernandez and how he needed to execute the next time he was in that situation. It was only two games ago, so he should have been mindful of it Monday.

“Rarely do you get that opportunity in this game to go out and execute the same play a day later, two days later, and make up for it,” Woodward said. “We're going to have another dialogue about it, and a lot of dialogue about it, explain to him, try to pound it into his head -- that’s the player he has to be if he wants to stay in the big leagues. …

“ … We had the momentum on our side at that point to kind of break that game open. That's a mental error. That can't happen at this level. It's something I would be mad about at A ball.”

Another critical mistake came in the 10th inning. The Rangers were leading 4-3 with two outs and a runner at first base. Right-hander Dennis Santana jumped ahead 0-2 on Rafael Devers, and threw a slider that hung over the plate.

Devers hit it just beyond center fielder DJ Peters for a game-tying double. The Red Sox won it in the 11th with a walk-off grand slam.

The pitch choice wasn’t an issue for Santana. The execution was. The pitch was supposed to be in the dirt. Instead, it was in Devers’ wheelhouse.

“Santana could have probably thrown three balls that rolled to the plate, and Devers would have swung at one of them,” Woodward said. “It’s just a lack of execution right there.”

COVID setting in

The Rangers said they would provide more information Tuesday on the status of Heim, who entered the COVID-19 health and safety protocols Monday shortly before first pitch and was scratched from the game.

It would appear the COVID injured list is inevitable. He would join infielders Brock Holt and Charlie Culberson and right-handers Drew Anderson and Mike Foltynewicz as the Rangers go though their first outbreak.

It seems likely that more will follow, especially if things transpire as they did at Double A Frisco. Six players hit the IL earlier this month, and another two, Josh Jung and Cole Winn, were in the safety protocols without hitting the IL.

Three of the Rangers’ players — Holt, Culberson and Anderson — through the Rangers said they are vaccinated. They didn’t say which vaccine they had received, but the less-effective, one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine has been identified in other MLB outbreaks.

As is the case with the vast majority of people who have received the vaccine, the players either have mild symptoms or are asymptomatic.

It doesn’t really matter now. The Rangers are scrambling to cover the vacancies with players from Triple A Round Rock. Wes Benjamin and Curtis Terry joined the Rangers on Monday, and at least one will be Cleveland for the opener of a three-game series.

That was before Heim entered the protocols, so it could two. Leody Taveras did not play Monday night for Round Rock, so maybe he’s on his way to Progressive Field.

Who knows how many more players the Rangers will need before this outbreak is over.

Speaking of Jung …

The Rangers’ top prospect entering the season, and their top prospect who is currently active, slugged his first Triple A home run Monday night after being promoted Friday.

The blast was to straightaway center field at Dell Diamond, and Jung also collected a double.

Speaking of being promoted … no, it does not seem as if the Rangers will be moving Jung up to take the place of Holt or Culberson at third base. Woodward said he is comfortable playing Hernandez or Andy Ibanez there, and maybe Solak, Nate Lowe or Jose Trevino in a pinch.

Of course, if COVID wipes out half the roster, the Rangers might not have a choice but to promote Jung. Outside of that emergency situation, the best bet for Jung’s MLB debut continues to be late September or early next season.

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