Joey Gallo healthy after missing half of 2019. Rangers need him regain All-Star form
Joey Gallo is the Texas Rangers’ right fielder now after being their Opening Day left fielder in 2019, their Opening Day first baseman in 2018 and their Opening Day third baseman in 2017.
A fourth position in four years — and that doesn’t include his time in center field last season — might be a big deal if not for Gallo’s willingness to do it and his athletic ability to do it.
With Mookie Betts finally traded, reportedly, Gallo could win a Gold Glove in right field.
Now, to what’s really important this season with Gallo:
Can he stay on the field for a full season?
Can he regain the form that made him one of the American League’s best players after not playing the final nine weeks of 2019?
Those are two of the most critical questions facing the Rangers as they prepare for another season. Pitchers and catchers report for spring training Tuesday, and position players follow Sunday.
All parties have insisted that Gallo is healthy and doing and saying the things that made him an All-Star in 2019. The truth is, no one will know for sure until he goes out and performs.
“He believes he’s capable of quite a bit,” manager Chris Woodward said. “The ceiling for him is a lot higher than before, which was pretty high. He looks at himself as more of a complete player, not the guy who hits .200 and hits 40 homers. He knows he can get on base. He knows he is as productive a player as there is in the major leagues.”
Woodward isn’t exaggerating about Gallo’s first-half performance. He was among the league leaders in OPS and its two components, on-base and slugging percentages, entering the All-Star break.
Gallo was among the leaders in outfield assists, too, and he is an above-average runner on the bases even though he is 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds.
He returned from the injured list in late June in fine form, but hit a slump in the second half that was the result of a broken hamate bone in his left hand. Gallo underwent surgery in late July and didn’t play again.
That injury is behind him. He said that he hasn’t been limited this off-season and is in as good of shape as he has been in past seasons. Gallo has gone the distance before, so it’s not like he is injury-prone.
“I feel like it was a normal off-season,” Gallo said. “What I was doing last year, I was very proud of that. I thought I did a good job.”
However, he is of such vital importance to the offense when at peak form that any extended absence could be detrimental to the Rangers’ chances.
The Rangers weren’t able to land a big bat to complement him in the lineup, though the Rangers should be better at catcher and third base with Robinson Chirinos and Todd Frazier after landing them in free agency.
The club continues to look at trades and the remaining free agents, though the only big additions would come via a trade. The two most prominent names in the rumor mill are Nolan Arenado of the Colorado Rockies and Kris Bryant of the Chicago Cubs.
General manager Jon Daniels is still looking for help.
“I don’t know,” Daniels said. “I think the trade market got a late start, kind of flipped from where things were the last couple years. It seems like there’s more discussion going on this year.”
Shin-Soo Choo would likely slide from designated hitter to right field if Gallo were sidelined. Scott Heineman would be another options.
The Rangers’ No. 1 option is to see Gallo stay healthy this season.
“He was really excited about the progress he made,” Woodward said. “He felt like he had something that was real. There was some truth behind what he was doing, and he feels like he’s onto something where he’s tapping into who he should be and who he really is.
“Health-wise, I think it drove him nuts,” Woodward said. “He saw the difference in our team when he was there and when he wasn’t. You can’t replace a guy like that, especially with that kind of production. He was our best player when he was out there. He was impacting the game in a lot of ways. From a health standpoint, this is a big one for Joey.”
