Rangers Most Likely September Call-Ups Focus on Slugging, Relief

On Sept. 1 the Texas Rangers can expand their Major League roster to 28 players. Here are the two most likely call-ups and their roles.

Texas Rangers General Manager Chris Young. Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports

The Texas Rangers remain in the heat of a playoff race, and it could allow them to either win the American League West or claim the AL’s final wild card berth.

On Sept. 1, the Rangers get an important opportunity for the stretch run. They get to expand their roster by two players.

MLB rules allow teams to expand their everyday roster from 26 to 28 players. Typically, teams add a pitcher and a hitter.

Assuming the Rangers do the same, here are here is the hitter and the pitcher they're most likely to add when rosters expand.

Logan O’Hoppe

Los Angeles Angels catcher Logan O'Hoppe. Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Some Rangers fans are already clamoring for O’Hoppe to be promoted, but his issues are more defensive than offensive. He's showing off why Texas was interested in acquiring him at the deadline at Triple-A Round Rock. With the Express he is slashing .300/.395/.571 with three home runs and 20 RBI going into Saturday’s action.

The Rangers are set behind the plate with Danny Jansen and Elias Diaz, though Jansen is not having a good offensive season and missed two months due to injury. But the Rangers don't have the room to carry three catchers until rosters expand. O’Hoppe has good splits against left-handed pitching so he fits into a DH rotation with Justin Foscue. He can be a late-inning pinch-hit option in those situations and start behind the plate in advantageous matchups.

Texas sees him as a long-term answer behind the plate, and it doesn’t want to mess with the confidence he's building down in Round Rock. But his bat would be useful down the stretch, and the roster expansion doesn’t require him to catch every day.

Alexis Díaz

Texas Rangers pitcher Alexis Diaz. Credit: Arianna Grainey-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Remember him? The Rangers signed him in the offseason, and he failed to make the team. Well guess what? He's pitching pretty darned well at Round Rock and he could be of use to Texas, assuming they can find a way to get him on the 40-man roster.

The 29-year-old right-hander is 1-0 with a 1.59 ERA in five games this month, with five strikeouts and four walks. This comes off a June in which he had a 0.00 ERA in three games. He’s allowed five earned runs since the beginning of June and seems to have managed some of the control issues that kept him off the opening-day roster.

The Rangers have 40-man options they can promote, including Gavin Collyer, David Davalillo and Ben Peoples. There's also Adam Macko, who was the other return on the trade with the Angels in July. But Diaz is a former All-Star with a powerful arm who, if properly harnessed, could give the Rangers some real heft in the late innings in September.