Khris Davis latest Texas Rangers player who won’t be available to start 2021 season
The Texas Rangers will, indeed, have an eighth player on the injured list to start the regular season.
They still have seven spring games left to avoid any others.
Khris Davis, who had moved into position to be the team’s designated hitter and cleanup man, has a moderate, Grade 2 strain of his left quadriceps muscle and will miss three to four weeks. The Rangers expect him to return in mid- to late-April.
Davis left the Rangers’ spring training game Tuesday in the first inning after while sprinting to first base.
They injury came the day after the Rangers announced three relievers would open the season on the injured list, and the day after Davis was struck in the shoulder and helmet by a 96-mph fastball.
They were bracing for Davis to open the season on the IL.
“It’s certainly not great news, but I think we expected it was significant when he left the game yesterday,“ general manager Chris Young said Wednesday.
Davis didn’t even attempt to stay in the game against the Los Angeles Angels. He took a right turn toward the Rangers’ dugout after beating out a bunt hit and quickly left for the clubhouse.
That hit lifted Davis’ average to only .219, but he has six hits in his past 14 Cactus League at-bats. Two of the hits were home runs, and he also homered last week in a B game.
The Rangers had been impressed by his decisions at the plate. As of his two-homer game Thursday night, he was leading the team in a metric they call swing decisions. Even the decision to bunt Tuesday, with two outs against a left-handed pitcher, was something Woodward liked because it was something they had discussed as being available from time to time.
“It sucks, because he was actually doing a cool thing for the team,” Woodward said.
The Davis injury likely solidifies the roster bids for outfielders Eli White and Leody Taveras after a spirited battled this spring to be the center fielder. Delino DeShields, in camp on a non-roster deal, might have also entered the picture.
The injury also makes it easier for the Rangers to carry first basemen Ronald Guzman and Nate Lowe.
Their plan was to carry 13 position players on the 26-man roster regardless of Davis’ status. Another DH candidate, Willie Calhoun, is already scheduled to start the season on the IL with a groin injury, but was taking live batting practice Wednesday for the first time.
Davis would become the eighth member of the 40-man roster expected to start 2021 on the IL. Right-handed relievers Jose Leclerc, Jonathan Hernandez and Demarcus Evans, and left-handers Brett Martin, Joely Rodriguez and Brock Burke are also dealing with injuries.
Left fielder David Dahl played Wednesday in a B game after leaving Monday’s game after fouling a ball off his right knee. Brock Holt started at third base despite fouling a ball of his left ankle Tuesday.
This story was originally published March 23, 2021 at 7:33 PM.
