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Rangers Busy Making Moves Before Philadelphia Series

Texas will get two position players back from the COVID list, while a starting pitcher is set to rehab at Triple-A

The Texas Rangers optioned catcher Sam Huff to Triple-A Round Rock and activated catcher/designated hitter Mitch Garver from the COVID-19 injured list, two of seven moves made in advance of Tuesday’s game with Philadelphia.

The Huff/Garver move is most notable because Garver was not allowed to catch before he went on the COVID list, as he was still working to recover from a right forearm flexor muscle strain that put him on the 10-day IL from May 9-19. That allowed the Rangers to keep Huff on the roster as Jonah Heim’s backup for more than a month.

Garver’s activation, and Huff’s demotion to Triple-A, may not be a signal that Garver is ready to catch on a regular basis. The Rangers selected the contract of catcher Meibrys Viloria from Round Rock on Tuesday.

Garver went on the COVID-IL on June 10 and missed 10 games. He did a rehab assignment at Double-A Frisco on Sunday, where he served as the designated hitter.

Garver was hitting .206/.283/.397/.680 with seven home runs and 16 RBI before going on the IL.

Huff, considered the Rangers’ top catching prospect, played well with the Rangers, hitting .282/.320/.352/.672 with one home run and five RBI. Sending him back to Triple-A will enable him to get back to being an everyday player.

The Rangers also made the following moves on Tuesday:

The Rangers activated infielder/outfielder Josh Smith from the 10-day injured list. The top 10 prospect joined the Rangers in May and played in five games, hitting .417/.588/.500/1.088 before a shoulder injury put him on the injured list on June 4. He missed 15 games and did a short rehab stint at Round Rock last week. To make room, the Rangers sent outfielder Josh Reks down to Round Rock.

The Rangers sent starting pitcher Glenn Otto to Round Rock for a rehab assignment. Otto missed his last two turns in the rotation as he went on the COVID list. This could be an indication that the Rangers believe he will be ready to be activated for his next turn in the rotation, which would be this weekend against Washington.

The Rangers transferred outfielder Eli White from the 10-day to the 60-day injured list. He had surgery on his injured wrist last week and is expected to miss six to eight weeks.

You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard

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