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Rangers vs Angels Pre-Game Notes: Back End of the Bullpen Solidified

The Texas Rangers are seeking to win their first series of the 2020 season on Saturday night as they host the Los Angeles Angels for the second game of this three-game series.

ARLINGTON, Texas — The Texas Rangers are seeking to win their first series of the 2020 season on Saturday night as they host the Los Angeles Angels for the second game of this three-game series.

Los Angeles Angels (5-9) @ Texas Rangers (4-8)

Saturday, August 8, 2020
6:05 p.m. CT
Globe Life Field | Arlington, TX
Roof Closed

Probables
LAA: LHP Patrick Sandoval (0-0, 2.25 ERA)
vs
TEX: LHP Kolby Allard (0-0, 2.25 ERA)

Broadcast

Los Angeles Angels
TV: FOX Sports West
Radio: KLAA

Texas Rangers
TV: FOX Sports Southwest
Radio: 105.3 The Fan, KFLC

Los Angeles Angels Starting Lineup

  1. SS David Fletcher
  2. CF Mike Trout
  3. 3B Anthony Rendon
  4. DH Shohei Ohtani
  5. 1B Albert Pujols
  6. LF Taylor Ward
  7. RF Jo Adell
  8. C Max Stassi
  9. 2B Luis Rengifo

Texas Rangers Starting Lineup

  1. SS Elvis Andrus
  2. 3B Isiah Kiner-Falefa
  3. 1B Todd Frazier
  4. RF Joey Gallo
  5. 2B Rougned Odor
  6. CF Nick Solak
  7. DH Willie Calhoun
  8. C Robinson Chirinos
  9. LF Rob Refsnyder

Injury Report

Joey Gallo (sore left wrist)
Rangers manager Chris Woodward didn't make it sound like Gallo's sore wrist was a big deal. He's back in the lineup on Saturday night, so all looks good on that front.

Joe Palumbo (10-day IL: ulcerative colitis flare up)
Chris Woodward provided this update on Joe Palumbo on Saturday afternoon:

"He has some stomach issues I believe (ulcerative colitis), so it is a pretty major flareup going on right now. He is not in a good spot. He does not feel great. We are trying to figure out what it is, something he is eating. He’s just not in a good place. He doesn’t feel great. We are just trying to get it regulated and calmed down so we he comes off the IL, he’ll be ready to pitch for us. Because right now it would be really tough to go out there."

Greg Bird (10-day IL: right calf strain)
Woodward:

“Birdie seems like he’s in a good spot. I saw him running around yesterday. I’m not sure if he feels anything. He said he felt pretty good. Like he would almost be able to play. That’s encouraging." 

Danny Santana (10-day IL: forearm tightness)
Woodward:

“Danny took some live at-bats today. He looked really good. I watched him throw. It’s getting better. He feels like he’s not as concerned when he starts to play catch. He’s not 100 percent throwing. I wouldn’t put him anywhere on defense just from the risk of having to make a hard throw. He’s still kind of iffy on that. He’s progressing better than I anticipated. I know he can come off tomorrow. We’re going to make a decision and see if it makes sense. If it’s only a DH and he can’t play the field, I don’t know if we’ll activate him right away. He’s been getting at-bats. He feels good physically. I think he’s still two or three days away from maybe throwing to where we’d feel comfortable even putting him at first base.”

Corey Kluber (45-day IL: shoulder tear)
He is shut down for four weeks and went back to his home in Boston during this time.

José Leclerc (45-day IL: shoulder tear)
Leclerc has the same prognosis as Kluber. He is shut down for four weeks before any throwing.

Rangers Beat

Back end of the bullpen solidified?

It may or may not be a knee-jerk reaction, but with Jonathan Hernández and Rafael Montero dominating the eighth and ninth innings on Friday night, I asked Chris Woodward if that would be his new 8-9 combo for the time being.

“Yeah, I think so....Yeah," Woodward laughed. "You see what Montero did last night—the command, the stuff, he added a sinker that [Mike] Trout didn’t know he had. Jonathan’s proven he can handle that spot. Yesterday he actually had to get out of a pretty significant jam in the seventh inning. He came back out, reset things, and punched out the side. Those two guys are definitely our 8-9 guys.”

Roster Move

The Rangers announced on Saturday they have released RHP Wei-Chieh Huang, who had been working at the Alternate Training Site at Globe Life Park. 

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