Rangers at Mariners Pre-Game Notes: Youth Movement On The Way?
The Texas Rangers open up a three-game weekend series in Seattle as they attempt to snap a five-game losing streak.
Texas Rangers (10-15) @ Seattle Mariners (9-19)
Saturday, August 22, 2020
8:10 p.m. CT
T-Mobile Park | Seattle, WA
Roof Open
Probables
TEX: RHP Jordan Lyles (1-2, 7.52 ERA)
vs
SEA: LHP Justus Sheffield (1-2, 4.12 ERA)
Broadcast
Texas Rangers
TV: FOX Sports Southwest
Radio: 105.3 The Fan, KFLC
Seattle Mariners
TV: Root Sports Northwest
Radio: 710
Texas Rangers Starting Lineup
- LF Nick Solak
- 1B Danny Santana
- 3B Todd Frazier
- RF Joey Gallo
- C Jose Trevino
- 2B Rougned Odor
- SS Isiah Kiner-Falefa
- DH Rob Refsnyder
- CF Scott Heineman
Seattle Mariners Starting Lineup
- SS J.P. Crawford
- LF Sam Haggerty
- CF Kyle Lewis
- 3B Kyle Seager
- C Austin Nola
- 1B Evan White
- RF Jake Fraley
- DH Tim Lopes
- 2B Shed Long Jr.
Injury Report
10-Day IL
- Nick Goody (back spasms): eligible August 22
- Robinson Chirinos (right ankle sprain): eligible August 21
- Brett Martin (left rotator cuff inflammation): eligible August 23
- Elvis Andrus (lower back strain): eligible August 30
- Willie Calhoun (strained left hamstring): eligible August 30
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
COVID-IL
- Luke Farrell: negative for COVID-19, came into contact with positive case (non-team related)
- Joe Palumbo: left team to deal with his ulcerative colitis flare up and will have to undergo intake testing once he returns. Under those circumstances, the club can put the player on the COVID-IL. According to a source, Palumbo has not tested positive for COVID-19 nor has come into contact with someone who has.
Is a Youth Movement On The Way?
The Rangers are coming up on a very tough stretch. After this weekend's series in Seattle, the Rangers head back to Arlington for four games with the Oakland Athletics and three games with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
If the Rangers' season continues its nose dive, the attitude of the club is discussing a shift toward the future. They're obviously still trying to win games, but as the likelihood of a playoff spot dissipates, the focus is shifting toward the youth of the organization.
"We're talking about this daily," said Rangers manager Chris Woodward. "If we can't find a way to win baseball games, then we're going to have look at what we have. There's not too many guys down there there that are young and super ready. I'm not going to force anything, but at the same time there are a few guys that I would like to see."
Don't expect to see No. 1 prospect Josh Jung or No. 2 prospect Sam Huff. The prospects that aren't close to being major league ready are not really being considered, but guys like Leody Taveras could get an extended look in September.
"I want to see him play," Woodward said of Taveras. "I want to see what it looks like. I want to see how he handles at bats. How quickly can you make adjustments and just see what we have in front of us and that's obviously more for the end of this year but also for next year. When we go to make decisions about personnel after that, we have a clearer idea of what to expect."
Young hurlers Wes Benjamin and Kyle Cody could see bigger roles in a couple weeks. Benjamin has shown pretty well thus far and Cody impressed in his major league debut, striking out the side in one inning of work. Woodward praises Cody's four-pitch mix and would consider him even for a spot in the rotation after some more work out of the bullpen.
“I would like to see it in a multiple-inning relief role to see what that looks like," Woodward said. "How he comes back the second or maybe even a third inning, ideally in a game we're winning by a lot of runs where we can just kind of let him go out there and let it rip. And then from there, we can make a decision. If we think it makes sense to insert him somewhere in that rotation, then we'll figure that out.”
The Rangers have some tough decisions to make in the coming days. The trade deadline is only nine days away. Do the Rangers find a way to turn things around and make a run toward the playoffs? Or do they sell at the deadline and give the youth of the organization some valuable playing time?
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