Rangers vs Astros Pre-Game Notes: Despite 0-4 Record, Roof Open Again at Globe Life Field
ARLINGTON, Texas — The Texas Rangers look to bounce back from Thursday night's blowout loss in game two of this four-game series with the Houston Astros.
Houston Astros (29-28) @ Texas Rangers (19-38)
Friday, September 23, 2020
7:05 p.m. CT
Globe Life Field | Arlington, TX
Roof Open
Probables
HOU: RHP Jose Urquidy (1-1, 2.78 ERA)
vs
TEX: RHP Kyle Cody (1-1, 1.53 ERA)
Broadcast
Houston Astros
TV: AT&T SportsNet Houston
Radio: KMBE, KTRH 740
Texas Rangers
TV: FOX Sports Southwest
Radio: 105.3 The Fan, KFLC
Houston Astros Starting Lineup
- CF George Springer
- 2B Jose Altuve
- DH Michael Brantley
- 3B Alex Bregman
- LF Kyle Tucker
- 1B Yuli Gurriel
- SS Carlos Correa
- RF Josh Reddick
- C Martín Maldonado
Texas Rangers Starting Lineup
- SS Isiah Kiner-Falefa
- DH Willie Calhoun
- LF Nick Solak
- RF Joey Gallo
- 2B Rougned Odor
- C Sam Huff
- 3B Derek Dietrich
- 1B Ronald Guzmán
- CF Eli White
Injury Report
10-Day IL
- Joe Palumbo (ulcerative colitis flare-up): eligible August 14
- Danny Santana (right elbow sprain): eligible September 6
- Joely Rodríguez (left hamstring strain): eligible September 16
- Shin-Soo Choo (right hand sprain): eligible September 18
- Jose Trevino (left wrist impingement): eligible September 21
- Elvis Andrus (lower back strain): eligible September 22
45-Day IL
- Brock Burke (left shoulder surgery): eligible May 27
- Corey Kluber (torn right teres major muscle (shoulder)): eligible September 11
- José Leclerc (torn right teres major muscle (shoulder)): eligible September 13
- Edinson Vólquez (right oblique strain): eligible September 27
Other Injury News
- 3B/1B Sherten Apostel will likely not be available for the final three games of the regular season due to back spasms that forced him to be removed from Thursday night's game against Houston.
- Shin-Soo Choo is the only player on either Injured List that has a chance to return in any fashion before the season concludes. Choo hopes to get at least one more at-bat before the end of the season.
Roof Open Again at Globe Life Field
The roof at Globe Life Field will be open again on Friday night because of favorable weather conditions in Arlington. This normally wouldn't seem like a big deal, except the Rangers have performed rather poorly with the roof open this season, even for their standards in 2020.
Heading into Friday night, the Rangers are 0-4 with the roof open this season. To be fair, that is a minuscule sample size. However, the Rangers have been outscored 42-13 in those four games, allowing at least 10 runs in each game.
"We had planned on it being open the next two days," Rangers manager Chris Woodward told the media prior to Friday night's game. "I think we’re still going to go through with that. If something happens again today, then I don’t know if we’ll ever open it. It just seems odd that that’s happened four times. I don’t read to much into that, but it is kind of a little bit concerning and we’ve got to take a look at that if something happens again today."
As mentioned before, four games is an incredibly small sample size. If all is back to normal next season, the majority of games in April, May, and the early part of June will likely be played with the roof open.
Whatever demons are lurking in this ballpark with the roof open will hopefully be chased away when paying customers can attend ballgames again.
Follow Inside The Rangers on SI on Twitter: @SITexasRangers
Like Inside The Rangers on SI on Facebook: www.facebook.com/SITexasRangers
Follow our Rangers insider Chris Halicke on Twitter: @ChrisHalicke
