Joey Gallo has a target date for his return to Rangers
Joey Gallo hopes to start a rehab assignment next week in Arizona.
Gallo, who went on the injured list with a left oblique strain on June 2, has been throwing and swinging the past four days.
He was hoping to start taking batting practice on the field with the team before Friday’s series opener against the Reds but the team didn’t hit on the field. He’ll do that Saturday.
He expects to face live pitching in Arizona on Tuesday.
“It’s going really well. I plan on being back, if not for the White Sox series, the [following] road trip at the very latest,” Gallo said. “I’ve been swinging, running, throwing and it felt really good. No problems.”
The Rangers begin a six-game road trip at Detroit and Tampa Bay on June 25.
Double-A Frisco and Triple-A Nashville are both on the road and Gallo’s days can be structured for maximum work better in Arizona.
“It could have been worse. I think if I’m playing in three weeks [after] a Grade 2 strain, that’s pretty good,” he said. “There’s still a lot of baseball left, so I want to be healthy for that.”
Gallo said throwing has been the issue, not swinging the bat while recovering from the strain.
“He’s swinging almost 100 percent. We’ll see how long it takes for him to be game ready,” Rangers manager Chris Woodward said. “If it takes longer, maybe [he’s join Nashville or Frisco]. If he is ready within the next home stand, maybe not. He’ll definitely face some live pitchers, whether it’s guys in Arizona or guys on our staff.”
This story was originally published June 14, 2019 at 5:40 PM.
