Texas Rangers’ injury bug almost catches Elvis Andrus

Elvis Andrus was in the Texas Rangers’ starting lineup Sunday as the starting shortstop, as he was in five of their first six games, but he was fortunate to not be on the disabled list with Robinson Chirinos and Shin-Soo Choo.

Andrus suffered cuts that did not require stitches to his left middle finger and thumb Saturday night while getting spiked as he slid head-first into home plate in the fourth inning.

He was wearing a bandage over the middle finger and near the thumb on his glove hand. He said that fielding balls is not an issue, but he had some difficulty gripping a bat.

The pain, though, wasn’t as bad as it was Saturday night, and he declared himself fit to play.

“It was painful, for sure, and it bothered me a little bit on the grip of the bat,” Andrus said. “As long as I can play, I’m good. It feels better.”

Andrus has never been on the disabled list since breaking into the majors in 2009 and has averaged 153 games a season. He played with a broken finger in 2008 at Double A Frisco but did not go on the DL.

He was trying to score Saturday from first base on a double to left field by Ryan Rua. Andrus was called out at home as catcher Carlos Perez stepped on his left hand while blocking the plate.

The Rangers challenged the call, but there was no compelling evidence to overturn the call.

Mariners again

The Rangers were scheduled to depart Southern California for Seattle after Sunday’s game for a three-game series Monday through Wednesday at Safeco Field.

The teams opened the season against each other last week, with the Mariners taking 2 of 3 games. Right-hander Colby Lewis pitched Wednesday, taking a no-decision after Shawn Tolleson’s blown save, and he will pitch the opener Monday.

For Lewis, the key to facing a team for the second time in five days is to quickly make adjustments.

“I’m pretty fresh in their minds, so I definitely have to read each at-bat,” said Lewis, who allowed three runs in six innings. “I’m still going to do the things that make me good and adjust based on the game situation.”　

Alberto’s versatility

Each spring training the manager is asked a critical question: Which player on the 25-man roster is the emergency catcher?

Jeff Banister’s answer last month was Hanser Alberto.

The utility infielder laughed Sunday when asked if he has a catcher’s glove. He said that he hasn’t caught in a game since he was probably 10 years old, but he has had on the gear in the past six months.

“I’ll figure it out if they need it,” Alberto said.

Alberto said that he caught bullpen sessions and did blocking drills in October during the American League Division Series. He doesn’t expect to have to catch, but he’s game if the need arises.

“If I’ve got to do it for one inning, I’ll do it,” he said.

Bryan Holaday is the Rangers’ everyday catcher now that Robinson Chirinos is on the 60-day disabled list. Brett Nicholas is on the roster as the backup, and the Rangers are continuing to look outside the organization for catching help.

Briefly

▪  Justin Ruggiano, who was designated for assignment Thursday, cleared waivers and accepted an outright assignment to Triple A Round Rock. He would have forfeited his minor league salary had he decided to become a free agent.

▪  Cole Hamels, who improved to 2-0 on Saturday, is 9-0 over his past 12 starts for the longest winning streak of his career and the third-longest in club history. The Rangers have won all 12 games, the club’s longest streak since 14 straight with Bobby Witt in 1990.

This story was originally published April 10, 2016 at 3:56 PM with the headline "Texas Rangers’ injury bug almost catches Elvis Andrus."