Two people on Texas Rangers radio broadcast team, including Matt Hicks, have COVID-19
Texas Rangers radio broadcaster Matt Hicks is one of two media members who tested positive for COVID-19.
Hicks and a radio technician tested positive over the past 10 days. As Tier 3 credentialed media, they worked exclusively in the home broadcast booth at Globe Life Field, have no contact with on-field personnel and are not permitted on the playing field or in team clubhouses.
Anyone who had contact with Hicks or the other person was sent home and has undergone COVID-19 testing. They won’t be allowed back into Globe Life Field without a negative test.
Play-by-play man Eric Nadel, who has since tested negative, opted out of broadcasting the Rangers’ weekend series at San Francisco, so pregame and postgame host Jared Sandler was to handle play-by-play work with former Rangers players David Murphy (Friday) and Mark McLemore (Saturday-Sunday).
No Rangers players have tested positive since right fielder Joey Gallo and left-handed reliever Brett Martin were flagged during testing before spring training 2.0. Both players have returned to the active roster.
Closer by committee
Manager Chris Woodward said that any number of relievers could get the call with a lead in the ninth inning with closer Jose Leclerc expected to miss much of the season.
The first players Woodward, mentioned, though, were right-handers Edinson Volquez and Jonathan Hernandez. Volquez has the experience while Hernandez has the best stuff, but Woodward said matchups would dictate who pitches.
For instance, Nick Goody was the choice Wednesday, after Leclerc complained of shoulder soreness while warming up, because the three Arizona hitters he would face were good matchups for him.
He needed only 11 pitches to record his first career save.
“I trust all those guys,” Woodward said. “If we do this right, we can get creative. All our guys are on board. They are all excited about it. They are going to pitch in situations they haven’t in the past, and we are going to learn a lot about our guys.”
Lyles ready
The initial plan for right-hander Jordan Lyles was for him to pitch Sunday against the Giants after the Rangers skipped his turn in the rotation so that Lance Lynn, Mike Minor and Corey Kluber could each get an extra start.
Kluber, though, will miss much, if not all, of the season with a shoulder injury, so Lyles will pitch Saturday. Left-hander Kolby Allard will take Kluber’s spot in the rotation.
The Rangers gave Lyles a relief appearance Tuesday as a tuneup for his start, and he worked two no-hit innings in a 4-1 loss to Arizona.
He keyed in on his curveball, something that he had difficulty honing during summer camp. He feels better about the pitch after his 2020 debut.
“It was nice to get my feet wet, being back in a competitive game where the runs actually matter,” he said. “It was good. I got the curveball working. I threw a good amount of those, a couple good changeups, and I like where we’re at.”
