Adrian Beltre’s return should help Rangers rebound

The Texas Rangers are hoping — maybe even expecting — that they’ve played their last game of 2017 without Adrian Beltre.

The Hall of Fame-bound third baseman could be activated before Monday’s series opener against the Tampa Bay Rays at Globe Life Park. He has been on the disabled list the first two months of the season with a strained right calf.

Sunday’s 3-1 win over the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre closed out a rough, nine-game road trip in which the Rangers went 3-6 and had lost their previous five games. Before the trip they had won 10 straight, including nine consecutive games in Arlington.

As much as they tried to downplay his absence, often correctly pointing out that every club loses players to injury, they also know how much his presence means. When you add his bat to the lineup it alters how pitchers will throw to batters in front and behind him. Rougned Odor and Mike Napoli, for example, should see more pitches in the zone.

“He makes things easier for everybody when he’s in the lineup,” said Elvis Andrus, who had three of the Rangers’ 10 hits Sunday, including a double, and scored two runs. “Rougie is going to see way better pitches along with everybody else. We just love having him healthy. We know how much he loves to play.”

Andrew Cashner came up big Sunday when the Rangers needed it most. After allowing a first-inning run, Cashner (2-4) shut down the Blue Jays over the next six innings and earned the win. It’s his best outing in his first nine starts for the Rangers.

“It was a huge team win for us, a long road trip. Our defense was incredible and we got some big hits by some guys in key spots,” Cashner said. “I got strike 1 and I think that was the big thing today.”

The Rangers scored runs in the third, fourth and fifth innings but still went 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position (and 3 for 26 in the series).

Andrus reached on an infield single in the third and scored on Jonathan Lucroy’s single up the middle to tie it at 1-1. Joey Gallo’s opposite-field homer to left gave the Rangers a 2-1 lead in the fourth. Andrus singled and later scored on a wild pitch to make it 3-1 in the seventh.

Beltre, the Rangers hope, will help stack more quality at-bats together in the middle of the lineup.

“He’s a guy who we really need right now on the team,” Andrus said. “We know what he can do when he’s healthy so we’re excited. I think that’s the right word. I’m excited to have him on the corner again.”

Beltre’s return leaves Gallo without a position, but it’s most likely he’ll see most of his action in the outfield. Gallo doesn’t care where he’s playing as long as he’s playing. Gallo hasn’t worked out anywhere but third base since spring training, he said.

“I haven’t really given it much thought. Wherever they put me I’m going to play the best that I can so I’m not worried about it,” said Gallo, who leads the team with 15 homers. “I just tried to do the best job I could until he got back. He’s a Gold Glover so I don’t ever compare myself to that.”

Beltre’s presence in the clubhouse and on the field is not only beneficial to young players, but veterans as well.

“He definitely brings a lot more to the table than just the numbers and the production,” said Lucroy, who had two hits Sunday and an RBI for the sixth consecutive game, the longest such streak for a Rangers player since Odor last September. “He brings a lot more than that. He holds people accountable, he cares about the guys in here. I think we all strive to be like him, I know I do. I think we’re all looking forward to having him back, to inject some life, and get on a roll again.”

This story was originally published May 28, 2017 at 6:27 PM with the headline "Adrian Beltre’s return should help Rangers rebound."