Rangers Place Danny Jansen on Injured List with Right Forearm Strain

ARLINGTON, Texas — The Texas Rangers made a move on Saturday that explained the signing of catcher Elías Díaz.

The Rangers placed catcher Danny Jansen on the 10-day injured list with a right forearm strain, retroactive to Wednesday. Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said the forearm had been bothering Jansen for a few days.

Texas also announced the official signing of Díaz and placed him on the 26-man and 40-man roster. The Rangers had a spot open on the 40-man after designating outfielder Sam Haggerty for assignment on Friday. Texas left the spot open for Díaz.

Meanwhile, Rangers infielder Josh Smith will begin a rehab assignment at Double-A Frisco on Saturday.

The Danny Jansen Move

Kansas City Royals catcher Elias Diaz runs the bases during a game. — Kansas City Royals catcher Elias Diaz. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Schumaker said that Jansen could have caught on Friday night in an emergency but probably wouldn’t have been able to throw out baserunners. He said the forearm is bothering Jansen most when he throws.

Jansen last appeared in a game on Monday in St. Louis and has been mired in a slump of late after a hot start at the plate. He is batting .171 in 41 games with three home runs, one triple, six doubles and 12 RBI. He leads the team in starts behind the plate at 36. Kyle Higashioka has started every game since Tuesday.

Signing Díaz is a recognition that the Rangers need a healthy backup and the veteran catcher could be on the field at some point in the Guardians series, Schumaker said. The Rangers have not had three catchers on the 40-man roster since April 23 when they designated Willie MacIver for assignment. He was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays.

Díaz played in 10 games for Kansas City this season. He was designated for assignment on May 22, cleared waivers, accepted an assignment to Triple-A Omaha and then opted for free agency earlier this week.

He carries a lifetime slash of .246 /.300/.385 with 73 home runs and 331 RBI. He was named a National League All-Star in 2023 with the Rockies, where he slashed .267/.316/.409 with 14 home runs and 72 RBI. He was named the MVP of that game.

The 35-year-old Díaz was signed as an international free agent out of Venezuela and made his Major League debut with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2015. He’s also played for the Colorado Rockies and the San Diego Padres. He’s played in 100 or more games in a season five times, including 106 games in 2025 with the Padres.

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