Rangers’ Brandon Nimmo Exits Tigers Game Early as Injury Precaution

The Texas Rangers right field played into the fourth inning before he was removed for the same thing he left Wednesday’s game for.

Texas Rangers right fielder Brandon Nimmo. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

DETROIT — For the second time in as many games, Texas Rangers right fielder Brandon Nimmo left a game with right hamstring tightness.

It happened again on Friday against the Detroit Tigers. This time, he left during the fourth inning as a precaution, per an update from the Rangers. Nimmo reached base for the third time in the game after he singled off Tigers starter Jack Flaherty. The Tigers went to pull Flaherty from the game for reliever Emmanuel De Jesus and while that was going on the Rangers removed Nimmo from the game.

Josh Smith came into pinch-run for Nimmo. Ezequiel Duran, who started the game at second base, moved to right field and Smith went to second base.

The game-time temperature was 48 degrees and light rain fell for part of the game. Nimmo was 2-for-2 with a walk and scored twice, along with handling a few plays in the field, before he was removed.

Brandon Nimmo’s Hamstring Injury

Texas Rangers right fielder Brandon Nimmo. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Nimmo left Wednesday’s game with the New York Yankees in the fifth inning with right hamstring tightness. After the game, manager Skip Schumaker and Nimmo felt confident that Nimmo would be able to play on Friday. Nimmo went through his full pre-game routine with no issues before the game.

Nimmo is now slashing .302/.378/.468 with his 2-for-2 game and he’s had one of the team’s best on-base percentages. He’s a player the Rangers want in the lineup. But there is good reason to be cautious.

The status on the return of Wyatt Langford is unclear. The third-year outfielder left his first rehab game in Arizona after one at-bat and was driven back on a cart from a back field in Surprise, Ariz., to the team’s clubhouse. Schumaker said that Langford felt something in the injured right forearm. He was undergoing tests on Friday but there was no update.

The hope was that Langford could join the Rangers in Detroit on Saturday and be activated when he was eligible. Now it’s unclear what is next.

Texas also has Evan Carter, Sam Haggerty, Andrew McCutchen and Alejandro Osuna to use in the outfield. Osuna was the outfielder called up when Langford went on the IL and was the likely option back to Round Rock if he were activated.

But, for now, the concern is for Nimmo, who left a game for the second straight contest with the same injury and what that means for Saturday.