Texas Rangers

Ian Kinsler has been put on the disabled list with an intercostal strain and prospect Jurickson Profar has been recalled from Round Rock to take his roster spot. Profar is the consensus top prospect in baseball and was hitting .278 / .370 / .438 with 4 home runs, including a 2 home run game yesterday. Leury Garcia will start at 2B tonight per the beat writers with Profar on the bench for his first game.

Adam hits the road to come to tonight's game so word leaks of a potential roster move. Buster Olney broke the news that Jurickson is in Arlington today in case he's needed for a roster move. That may indicate that Ian Kinsler's sore ribs may require a DL stint. Am told that Profar was summoned to Arlington earlier today in case the Rangers decide to make a move and he is needed. Pending. — Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) May 19, 2013 At this point no official announcement has been made, updates to follow.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Rangers try to win a four-game series from Detroit when left-hander Derek Holland takes the mound against the always tough right-hander Doug Fister at 7:05 p.m. Sunday night on ESPN TV and ESPN-FM 103.3 and 1540-AM. Holland (3-2, 2.93): Holland tries to bounce back after a frustrating outing in Oakland in which the Rangers gave him an early 3-0 lead and couldn't hold it ... The Rangers' left-hander failed to go at least seven innings for only the second time in eight starts .

Texas is now 28-15. Texas has the best record in the majors. Texas has the best run differential (+51) in the majors. Texas has done this despite playing 25 road games against just 18 home games so far. The Rangers' lead in the A.L. West is 6.5 games. Every other division leader's lead is, combined, 6 games. BP's playoff odds give the Rangers the best chance of any team in baseball of winning their division and of making the playoffs. The Rangers are third in the A.L. in team OPS, first in the A.L. in ERA, and first in the A.L. in fewest runs allowed. That's all pretty good.

When Yu Darvish completed the top of the fifth inning on Friday night, a crisp 11-pitch frame against perhaps the most dangerous heart of a lineup in the league, Texas had reached the quarter pole of the 2013 season.  Torii Hunter bunted out, Miguel Cabrera grounded out to Mitch Moreland, Prince Fielder singled to right, and Victor Martinez flew out to center. At that point, Darvish had allowed four runs in those five innings on seven hits (including two homers and a double), an intentional walk, a wild pitch, and two run-scoring sac flies.  Not a particularly sharp effort for the Rangers’ ace, at least to that point in the game, but this was the most productive offense in the American League he was facing, and it was good enough to win. The next two nights, Texas would throw its number seven and number eight starters at the Detroit offense, and be without Ian Kinsler, its most sabermetrically productive offensive player, in both games.  The Rangers’ starting catcher remained out of action, leaving the club’s beleaguered backup and recently designated-for-assignment call-up to handle number seven on Friday night and number eight on Saturday. Number seven held the Tigers to two runs over five innings in what would be a 2-1 loss – just the Rangers’ third loss in one-run games out of 12. Number eight held Detroit to two runs over 6.2 frames in a decisive 7-2 win. A win that was the Rangers’ 28th of the year.  No other team in baseball has as many. Texas sits at 28-15, good for baseball’s best record, and the best 43-game record in franchise history. The club’s +51 run differential is baseball’s best. The Rangers’ 6.5-game edge in the AL West exceeds the other five division leads (1.0 + 1.0 + 1.5 + 1.5 + 1.0) combined.  The seven-game lead they’d built after Darvish-Verlander was the first such lead this early in a season since Boston and Milwaukee led their divisions by as much in 2007. The Rangers have played 25 road games.  Twenty-eight of the other 29 teams have played fewer. The club has yet to lose a game it led at some point by two runs or more, probably more meaningful than its 3-0 record when Robinson Chirinos starts behind the plate. Except Chirinos has caught Nick Tepesch, a secretly injured Alexi Ogando, and Justin Grimm.  Number seven, an ailing number five, and number seven. I still like the two-run lead note better. MLB.com’s Richard Justice is the latest of the national writers to pen a sentence like this one: “Few people were picking the Rangers to finish in front of the A’s and Angels in the AL West after an offseason in which they traded their clubhouse leader, Michael Young, and lost Josh Hamilton, Mike Napoli and two key relievers, Mike Adams and Koji Uehara.” Every time I see that particular column, I hear in my head Jon Daniels’s comment, issued as early as November and as recently as this week, which never sounded like spin or bluster coming from him: “We like our team.” It’s Derek Holland vs. Doug Fister tonight, in front of a national TV audience. Then tomorrow Josh Lindblom – number nine – makes his Rangers debut against Bartolo Colon and the A’s.  Lindblom has appeared in 101 big league games with the Dodgers and Phillies, zero of which have been starts.  Before this season, his last 65 minor league appearances had been out of the bullpen.  But Texas, having acquired Lindblom from the Phillies in the Young trade this winter, saw something different, and the 25-year-old was off to a 4-0, 2.08 start out of the Round Rock rotation (.173/.232/.295 slash) when word emerged that he’d be recalled for Monday’s start in place of the injured Ogando. He’s the Rangers’ number nine starter (I suppose number 10 if you’re in the Neftali-Feliz-as-starter camp, which I’m not), and I’m very interested in what happens tomorrow night. Meanwhile, the draft approaches, and then the international free agent sign date, and then the trade deadline becomes a big part of the focus.  This organization has given us lots of reason t

(Reuters) – The Cleveland Indians beat the Seattle Mariners in a walk-off for the second successive day with a 5-4 victory on Saturday. Jason Kipnis, who belted the go ahead three-run homer in the 10th inning on Friday, was driven in from third by Mark Reynolds on a fielders choice grounder in the bottom of the ninth to keep the Indians at the top of the American League Central (24-17). In New York, Robinson Cano drove in four runs on two two-run homers as the New York Yankees beat the Toronto Blue Jays 7-2. … View full post on Yahoo! Sports – MLB – Texas Rangers News

The Rangers are on ESPN Sunday Night Baseball tonight. Yay! However, I will not be watching, as I will be at the game. I know you're so jelly. Drew Davison's game story from last night's 7-2 win focuses on the contributions of Elvis Andrus, who went 5 for 5, and Justin Grimm, who pitched into the 7th and allowed just two runs to the potent Tiger offense. Anthony Andro's game story has quotes from Justin Grimm, who has been terrific in 2013 after a rough experience in the majors last year. Jim Reeves' game story talks about Elvis's big night, with Ron Washington saying that Ian Kinsler isn't losing his spot at the top of the lineup despite Elvis going 5 for 5. Evan Grant writes that we shouldn't expect Elvis to stay in the leadoff spot once Kinsler returns. Todd Wills has his Rapid Reaction at ESPN Dallas. Gil Lebreton has a column on Mitch Moreland, writing that while Moreland has gotten off to a great start, there are still questions about whether he's the long-term answer at first base, and even points out that his current slash line isn't much different than where he's been on May 18 the previous two years. Richard Justice has a column discussing how the Rangers' success so far this year is a credit to the depth they have developed. Davison writes that, with Cory Burns having been called up this week and Josh Lindblom coming up on Monday to make a start, the two pitchers in Round Rock who appear poised to get major league jobs next are Neal Cotts and Nate Robertson. The S-T's notes talk about Ian Kinsler sitting again yesterday, Leonys Martin having (in the minds of some) the best arm in the majors, and Nelson Cruz not getting worried about a potential suspension due to his connection with Biogenesis. Reeves' notes hit on David Murphy hitting 2nd yesterday with Ian Kinsler out, Wash being displeased with Alexi Ogando not having told the team he was hurting before he went on the d.l., Leonys's arm, and the possibility of Cory Burns sticking around past Monday, when a move will have to be made to make room for Josh Lindblom. A line I thought you folks would enjoy on the last part: The Rangers are carrying three left-handers in the bullpen and wouldn't mind having another right-hander around, but Robbie Ross, Michael Kirkman and Joseph Ortiz have all pitched well, too.

NEXT  vs. Detroit, 7:05 p.m. SCOUTING THE STARTERS Rangers LHP Derek Holland (3-2, 2.93 ERA) allowed 18 hits in 12 2/3 innings on the last road trip, spiking his opponents’ batting average allowed from .199 to .236. But home has been where Holland thrives this year. In three starts in Arlington, he’s compiled a .210 opponents’ average, a 1.57 ERA and has allowed just one homer in 23 innings. Though a small sample, it’s quite a contrast from last … [visit site to read more]

Elvis Andrus scores a run in the first inning David Murphy slides into third Justin Grimm on the mound Mitch Moreland in his home run trot The Rangers are 3-0 when Robinson Chirinos starts behind the plate Defense! Defense! Defense!

Texas Rangers left-hander Derek Holland, who faces Detroit in the series finale Sunday, has been doing a lot of talking to himself between starts. He’s trying to ensure that he doesn’t let his emotions get the best of him in another start. Holland acknowledged Saturday the old issue reared its head again in Oakland. After four shutout innings, Holland said he “let the game get away” from him. He allowed four runs over the fifth and sixth innings and was pulled with two outs in the … [visit site to read more]