Texas Rangers plan for Khris Davis to debut next month. But where will he play?
The soonest that Khris Davis will join the Texas Rangers’ active roster is May 7 to begin their next homestand.
And there’s no longer any doubt that he will join the roster even though the 33-year-old designated hitter doesn’t fit on the roster.
But he is making $16.25 million this season, and the Rangers are already eating around $18 million in contracts for players now with other teams. Nearly doubling that probably isn’t attractive to ownership.
The Rangers are on the hook for nearly $12 million owed this season to Rougned Odor, who was designated for assignment April 1, and are paying $6.25 million of Elvis Andrus’ 2021 contract after they shipped him to Oakland in a five-player deal that included Davis in a salary swap.
Davis made his debut at the alternate training site Wednesday, going 0 for 4, as he works his swing back into shape following a quadriceps injury late in spring training. The Triple A season opens May 4, and Davis might need to stay with Round Rock past May 7 if he isn’t hitting.
“I want to make sure he getting his timing,” manager Chris Woodward said. “He even told me that his swing just feels OK, and timing just feels OK.
“Once we start to see if it’s showing good signs of progress and he seems like he’s ready to come back and have quality at-bats, we’ll probably have him back. I don’t know what the timetable is for that.”
The Rangers are scheduled to play the Boston Red Sox at Globe Life Field the next four days, go to Minnesota for a four-game series, and then return for a three-game series against Seattle.
After figuring out when Davis will make his Rangers debut, the next issue becomes finding ways for Davis to get his at-bats on a team that is stocked in the outfield and at DH with younger players the rebuilding Rangers need to evaluate.
A relatively easy move to make would be swapping Davis for rookie outfielder Eli White, with Adolis Garcia showing he’s capable of handling center field. David Dahl and Joey Gallo can play center, as well.
Davis’ at-bats could come at the expense of Willie Calhoun, who has been at DH since being activated from the IL earlier this month. The left-handed hitter has become the Rangers’ leadoff hitter against right-handed pitchers, and entered play Wednesday hitting .313.
Davis, a right-handed hitter, could serve as the DH against left-handed pitchers.
But he will play for the Rangers this season.
