Prince Fielder’s season could be done; Rangers also place Shin-Soo Choo on DL

Two of the Texas Rangers’ core offensive players, Prince Fielder and Shin-Soo Choo, were placed on the disabled list Wednesday.

An MRI exam revealed Fielder has a herniated disk in his neck and could need another season-ending surgery. The designated hitter had neck surgery in 2014 and missed most of that season.

Outfielder Delino DeShields and infielder Hanser Alberto were recalled from Triple A Round Rock and were available for Wednesday’s finale against the Los Angeles Angels.

Choo, who has missed time with multiple injuries this season, was most recently out with lower back stiffness. He started Tuesday for the first time since the All-Star break, going 0 for 5. He received an anti-inflammatory injection in his back, and the Rangers hope he’s able to return in two weeks.

Both players were placed on the 15-day DL but Fielder’s season could be over. He’ll meet with Dr. Drew Dossett on Friday in Dallas to determine a course of treatment, which could include season-ending surgery.

Dossett performed Fielder’s cervical-fusion surgery in 2014. Fielder told Rangers manager Jeff Banister on Monday that he was feeling weakness in his left arm and discomfort in his neck. He had an MRI on Tuesday, which revealed a herniation of the C4/C5 discs in his neck, which is just above the vertebrae Fielder had fused in 2014.

“It puts additional stress on the joint either above or below it,” Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said. “The fusion that he had is intact, there are no issues with that. Somewhere along the line the herniated disk surfaced above that spot in his neck.”

Los Angeles specialist Dr. Robert Watkins examined Choo and Fielder on Wednesday.

Fielder’s symptoms are similar to those prior to his 2014 surgery. He’s batting .212 with eight homers and 44 RBIs in 89 games. He did not play Tuesday, the second time in the first five games since the break he was on the bench. He’s 4 for his last 27 at-bats with one homer and three RBIs.

“He was trying to fight through this, but I don’t know exactly for how long. I think it’s reasonable to say that this definitely had an impact on his performance.”

Daniels declined to speculate whether Fielder’s season was over, but conceded that it’s likely if surgery is decided.

“I really want to wait to hear what Dr. Dossett says,” he said.

Neither Choo nor Fielder were available before Wednesday’s game.

Fielder’s absence does give Banister more lineup flexibility and will allow Jurickson Profar easier access to the starting lineup. He started at second base Wednesday while Rougned Odor assumed DH duties.

“Other than the two catchers, that DH role might get floated all around the diamond,” Banister said. “I think we have an opportunity to have three different players (Mitch Moreland, Ryan Rua and Profar) that can play first base depending on how we construct the lineup. This affords us an opportunity to be flexible in how we construct the lineup. It gives us a lot of different looks, really.”

Profar’s versatility, which now includes the outfield where he recently worked out, is now more than just a convenience.

“It’s a necessity now and it’s even more of a necessity to be able to allow him to play in the outfield as well,” said Banister, who envisioned the possibility of constructing a heavy right-handed lineup against a left-handed pitcher. “The flexibility of having Profar playing everywhere on the dirt as well as the outfield, if we needed to bring somebody in with speed, yet keep all the key players in.”

DeShields could be used in left field and as a backup for Ian Desmond in center. Alberto can fill in at any of the infield spots. Both, especially DeShields, provide the Rangers with a speedy option off the bench.

“When you look at our club, at some of the times we’ve played our best are when we’ve been versatile and athletic and put pressure on defenses,” Daniels said. “It’s just another dynamic of athleticism that Banister can utilize.”

This story was originally published July 20, 2016 at 5:44 PM with the headline "Prince Fielder’s season could be done; Rangers also place Shin-Soo Choo on DL."