What Rangers’ Latest Minor League Options Tell us About Opening Day Roster

The Texas Rangers narrowed their options for opening day further on Monday by optioning two players to Triple-A Round Rock.

Texas optioned pitcher Marc Church and infielder Justin Foscue. Church had little chance to make the opening day roster as he was recovering from a strained teres major muscle. Foscue, meanwhile, was one of several contenders to replace Marcus Semien at second base before a hamstring injury in February essentially took him out of the competition.

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Church recently pitched an inning in a spring training game before he was optioned. He allowed two hits and two runs as he struck out one and walked none. Foscue played in four games but slashed .444/.500/.556 with an RBI.

The Texas Rangers’ Opening Day Roster Race

Texas Rangers relief pitcher Marc Church throws a baseball. — Texas Rangers relief pitcher Marc Church. | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Among non-roster invitees, Texas has two infielders left that have not been optioned — Tyler Wade and Andrew Velazquez. Wade has been one of the better offensive performers in spring training. He’s slashed .414/.485/.586 with one home run and two RBI. He doesn’t offer much in the way of slug at the plate. But he can play infield and outfield, versatility the Rangers value.

Velazquez has slashed .115/.172/.192 with three RBI. Like Wade, he doesn’t offer much in the way of power. He’s also a lifetime .189 batter in the Majors.

It reinforces the potential that the Rangers’ final bench spots will be taken by players that already on the 40-man roster. Third baseman Josh Jung also returned to the lineup on Monday as he ramps up from a Grade 1 adductor strain. The hope is that he’ll be ready for the opening day roster. If he’s not, he could be played on the 10-day injured list. That might offer an opening for Wade.

There are three likely bench spots for Texas. Outfielder Sam Haggerty, who can also play second base, is as close to a lock to make the opening day roster after an exceptional spring at the plate, as he’s slashed .355/.474/.548 with one home run and eight RBI.

From there, the Rangers have a few options. Texas optioned Cameron Cauley back to the minors and Cody Freeman is still recovering from an injury. So, the likely infield utility player is Ezequiel Duran. His bat has perked up in spring training, with a slash of .303/.439/.545 with two home runs and nine RBI.

The most competitive race is for the final bench spot, which may come down to Mark Canha and Andrew McCutchen, who are both competing for a position that could be the DH against left-handed pitching and a back-up corner outfielder.