Rangers Lineup vs. Diamondbacks: Joc Pederson in Unusual Spot in Order

The Texas Rangers have set their lineup for the second game of their three-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Texas Rangers designated hitter Joc Pederson. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The Texas Rangers managed just four hits off Arizona Diamondbacks pitching on Monday. That must change.

Monday was supposed to be the beginning of a much easier stretch of baseball for the Rangers. In their first 40 games, Texas’ combined opponent winning percentage was the highest in baseball. With Monday's game, the combined winning percentage for its remaining opponents was the lowest in baseball. But anyone who has played baseball will tell anyone that baseball is a weird game.

The Rangers had to scratch starter Nathan Eovaldi due to left side tightness before the game. That meant Texas had to go to a bullpen game. The bullpen was terrific. It allowed just one run on six hits. But the Rangers couldn't score a run.

So what happens on Tuesday night? Do the Rangers make significant lineup changes knowing that pockets of its lineup just aren’t producing? Or do they stick to the left-handed matchups against a right-hander starter in Arizona’s Zac Gallen?

It might not matter in this case. Gallen has been terrible on the road (7.13 ERA) and is allowing right-handers (.299) to hit better against him than left-handers (.286), but only by a slim margin. Teams have been lighting him up, especially in March as he’s allowed 13 hits and 10 runs in less than 10 innings.

Texas may stick with the normal matchups on Tuesday and then give some of their regulars a rest on Wednesday, knowing that they get a day off on Thursday for travel to go to Houston to start a nine-game road trip.

Rangers Lineup on May 12

Texas Rangers center fielder Evan Carter. | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

DH Joc Pederson (L)

RF Brandon Nimmo (L)

SS Corey Seager (L)

3B Josh Jung

CF Evan Carter (L)

2B Ezequiel Duran

LF Alejandro Osuna

1B Jake Burger

C Kyle Higashioka

LHP MacKenzie Gore

Three Rangers with previous National League ties have the most at-bats against Gallen — Brandon Nimmo, Corey Seager and Joc Pederson, of the three, Seager has the best batting average, though he’s mired in the worst slump of his career. He is batting .294 against Gallen with an RBI. Pederson is batting .133 and Nimmo is batting .083. All three left-handed hitters are batting in the top three spots.

This could be a really good matchup for Jake Burger. The struggling first baseman had just eight at-bats against Gallen but has a .500 average with two home runs and three RBI. Andrew McCutchen has a .429 aveage in seven at-bats with an RBI.