Texas Rangers don’t lead MLB in Tommy John surgeries, but it sure does seem that way
Much has happened since the 2021 debut of the Texas Rangers Mailbag last month.
2. Joey Gallo is walk machine.
3. Adolis Garcia is an instant fan favorite.
4. Ronald Guzman tore his knee.
5. Jonathan Hernandez joined Jose Leclerc and many others in recent Rangers seasons who have had Tommy John surgery.
That last one leads to the first question of this edition of the Mailbag.
Let’s go.
Why can’t these Tommy John surgeries be prevented? It seems like just about every Rangers pitcher who comes down with a sore elbow ends up having a major operation. And now they are pushing Kyle Cody, Taylor Hearn and Dane Dunning at the big-league level even though they haven’t pitched much the last two years. Do the Rangers know what they are doing with their pitchers? —Chuck S., Fort Worth
That’s a billion-dollar question all of baseball wishes it could solve. The Rangers are one of many teams dealing with a rash of elbow injuries, the most notable of them being the San Diego Padres.
As Dr. Keith Meister, the Rangers’ team physician said a few years ago, you can’t put a V-8 in a Volkswagen. Pitchers are throwing harder and manipulating pitches more than ever, and that little elbow ligament has trouble staying intact.
The Rangers have tried a variety of different programs for pitchers, including not allowing many of the prep pitchers they selected in teh 2018 draft pitch. Two of them ended up having Tommy John.
Cody and Dunning had Tommy John surgery in 2018 and 2019. Dunning has been just fine, his first rough outing Friday notwithstanding. Cody has been up and down, but at least they’re both healthy. So is Hearn, who avoided Tommy John in 2019, but he’s had some struggles so far this season.
Keep in mind the Rangers are rebuilding and are going to be using a lot of pitchers who haven’t done much the past two years. There was no minor-league season in 2020, and so that’s part of the issue as well.
After a rehab assignment, does Josh Jung come up and immediately go to third base? Also, do the Rangers have any prospects that can help the bullpen? —Patrick, Rolla, Mo.
Jung is going to play in the minor leagues for a couple months before the Rangers consider bringing him up. A couple reasons: 1. He needs to test his left foot and get back up to speed after surgery last month. 2. He has hardly played professionally, with only 44 games in 2019 between the rookie league and Low A.
Chances are, Jung is the third baseman at the end of the season and into the foreseeable future. But the Rangers are exhibiting some patience with him, and there’s nothing wrong with that.
Also currently injured and in Arizona with Jung is right-hander Demarcus Evans, who in 2019 was considered as the best reliever in the minor leagues by Baseball America. He made his MLB debut late last season and is pitching at minor-league spring training.
He can help the bullpen and will help the bullpen sooner than later.
Knowing that the Rangers are on a rebuild do you think they will be willing to trade Gallo this summer? —Andres F., Prosper
They listened to offers for him last summer ahead of the trade deadline and received interest in him in the offseason. Jon Daniels, the president of baseball operations, said nothing has changed since then.
Translation: The Rangers will continue to listen and would strike on the right offer, though not necessarily because they are rebuilding. Gallo has only one year of salary arbitration remaining, and his agent, Scott Boras, has a reputation for taking his players to free agency.
However, if the player wants to stay, as Gallo has said many times he does, the agent will allow that to happen.
How much longer does Leody Taveras get in center field? —Kenny M., Muskogee, Okla.
Not much longer, not with the emergence of Garcia, who has already cut into Taveras’ playing time. Taveras is the superior defensive player, however his bat hasn’t come around yet. So, he’s a prime candidate to be sent to Triple A Round Rock when the minor-league seasons open May 4.
And that’s OK. It’s happened to other Rangers before, with Odor being most notable in 2015. And it happened to a future star within the division. Mike Trout came up in 2011, but was sent back to the minors.
The Rangers still see Taveras as an everyday center fielder. His defense and speed are enviable. If he hits, the Rangers believe he can be an All-Star at some point.
Who goes down when Khris Davis comes back? And is Nate Lowe the next Mark Teixeira? —Steve T., Fort Worth
One correction, Steve, if you don’t mind. The when should be an if. Davis is going to be healthy by mid-May. He should be transitioning to the alternate training site soon and then would likely open Round Rock’s season on a rehab assignment.
But there seems to be some doubt on if the Rangers will have a roster spot for him. If he is productive at Round Rock, as he was before he was injured at spring training, they would likely activate him.
If he’s not productive, as was the case the past two seasons, the Rangers might consider cutting ties with him as they did with Rougned Odor.
As for Lowe, he’s won’t be the next Teixeira. Teixeira was a star and no-doubt everyday player from his debut until retirement. He was a switch-hitter, a Gold Glove winner at first base and hit 409 homers in his career.
That’s a tall order for Lowe, who is off to a nice start in his first season as an everyday player. He has a chance to be a nice player, but Teixeira was a multiple-time All-Star and one of the best first baseman in baseball for a number of years.
Could you please explain how options work for prospects going back and forth to the minors for seasoning? —Bud P., Gold River, Calif.
Always a good subject to review.
Every baseball player is tagged with three minor-league options, which allow a team to send the player to the minors without placing him on waivers. Some players get four options years if they have less than five seasons in the majors and minors. Options don’t have to be used in successive seasons.
Once a player is out of options, he must be designated for assignment and be made available to the other 29 teams on waivers. If he is not claimed, he is almost always assigned outright to a minor-league team and removed from the 40-man roster. His minor-league contract must be purchased and he must be added back to the 40-man roster on subsequent call-ups. If DFA’d again and unclaimed again, he can refuse assignment and become a free agent.
