Rangers OF Desmond hopes for restart after a day off turned into three

During his first meeting with Jeff Banister after signing with the Rangers as a free agent in late February, Ian Desmond expressed his trust in his new manager.

Desmond told Banister he trusted him for what he’d done and who he was as a man.

“Use your eyes and if you see that you want me to take a day off or you think I need to take a blow, I’m not going to fight you for it,” Desmond told him. “But if you ever ask me if I want a day off I will never say yes.”

Desmond’s day off on Saturday, his first of the season, turned into three consecutive days after Sunday’s rainout and Monday’s day off.

Is that too much?

“We’ll find out,” Desmond said with a laugh. “Getting your legs back under you is never a bad thing. It may affect timing but I doubt it. I’m looking at it as a good thing.”

Considering how much extra work Desmond put in during spring training the three days of rest should be good.

Desmond, who had hits in his first two at-bats Tuesday including a double in the third, worked overtime on learning how to play in the outfield. He had been an All-Star shortstop for the Nationals his entire career. When the rest of the veterans were back in the clubhouse Desmond was often out shagging balls on the back fields.

“Looking back at it, since I came here I was working extremely hard,” he said, while not admitting to any fatigue.

Banister said the day off was coming regardless of Desmond’s statistics, which included a league-low .109 batting average and just one RBI entering Tuesday. Banister doesn’t think Desmond was physically or mentally tired during his first 12 games.

“Guys go through stretches where they don’t play as well as the numbers say on the back of their [baseball] card,” Banister said. “It just so happens that our first look was in his first 12 games. “I have all the confidence in the world in Ian Desmond. When it’s all over with and we’re talking about Ian Desmond at the end of the year those numbers will play out about where they need to play out.”

Hamilton’s return

Outfielder Josh Hamilton hopes to begin a rehab assignment with Double A Frisco on April 30. Hamilton, who has been on the disabled list after left knee surgery in February, will return to Arizona to build up at-bats in extended spring games. Hamilton said his legs feel good.

“I’m just following what they want me to do,” Hamilton said. “They wanted me to have six weeks of spring training and that’s what we’re going to do.”

The Rangers want Hamilton to get at least 35 at-bats combined between extended spring training games and his rehab assignment.

Gimenez close

Catcher Chris Gimenez expects to play in extended spring games Friday and Saturday in Arizona, return to Texas on Sunday and begin a rehab assignment in Frisco on Monday. He expects to catch Yu Darvish’s first rehab start in Frisco, which could be April 26.

Gimenez has been sidelined with a staph infection that developed after his left ankle was hit by a foul ball late in spring training. It required minor surgery and he was hospitalized for several days.

Rivalry talk

The rivalry between the Rangers and Astros is still on friendly terms, Prince Fielder said before Tuesday’s series opener.

“Everybody wants to win. They’re in our division so it’s going to be a little bit more intense,” he said. “Nobody has punched anybody yet so I think we’re all right.”

The Rangers have won the Silver Boot trophy (the season series) 11 of the 15 seasons, including in 2015 when they beat the Astros 13 of 19 times.

“Any game in your division is really important because that’s the easiest way to gain ground if you’re trying to separate yourself,” Fielder said. “Once you’re not playing them it’s out of your control. When you’re playing them you have a little bit of control of how things could turn out.”

Briefly

▪ The Silver Boot series is being sponsored by the the Texas Lottery. Lottery officials announced new Rangers-Astros scratch off tickets before Tuesday’s series opener.

▪ Catcher Michael McKenry (abdomen) was activated off the disabled list for Round Rock.

▪ Right-hander Anthony Ranaudo was placed on Round Rock’s disabled list with a groin strain.

▪ Right-hander Michael Matuella (third-round pick last June) threw off a full mound Tuesday in Surprise, Ariz., for the first time since having Tommy John surgery in April 2015.

This story was originally published April 19, 2016 at 7:36 PM with the headline "Rangers OF Desmond hopes for restart after a day off turned into three."