Rangers sign Drew Stubbs to fill out bench, create versatility
Drew Stubbs is back in a Texas Rangers uniform, giving them a full bench for the first time since the first week of the season and creating roster options once Shin-Soo Choo returns from the disabled list.
Stubbs, a native Texan, was signed to a major league deal Saturday with the club that he left in spring training after being informed he wouldn’t make the Opening Day roster. He was available again after being released Tuesday by the Atlanta Braves.
The Rangers have five outfielders on their roster, and one of them will have to be moved once Choo returns later this month. Delino DeShields, Nomar Mazara and Ryan Rua have minor league options.
The slow-starting DeShields could be the odd man out as the Rangers look for a way to keep Mazara in the lineup and keep Rua on the bench as their backup first baseman. DeShields will remain a regular for now after the Stubbs move.
“It does not directly affect him, not as of today,” general manager Jon Daniels said.
Instead, the move was more about Josh Hamilton being unavailable until at least early June after a setback last weekend with his left knee. The Rangers decided that they needed a full bench after not having one since the fourth game of the season.
Hamilton was transferred to the 60-day DL, retroactive to Opening Day, and left-hander Alex Claudio was optioned to Triple A Round Rock to give the Rangers a standard seven-man bullpen.
Stubbs is likely to fill the role he had last season after joining the Rangers on Sept. 1. He was used primarily as a defensive replacement and pinch runner, and his catch to rob Ian Kinsler of a potential go-ahead double Sept. 29 helped the Rangers win the American League West.
“For me, getting a call from a familiar place and a group of guys I enjoyed being around was refreshing,” Stubbs said. “I think coming in it’s great to have some familiarity and the role you’re going to have. I think there are still a lot of things to fall in place just to see how everything is going to play out.”
Choo to lead off?
Choo could be activated during the Rangers’ next road trip May 16-22, and he could also replace Rougned Odor as the leadoff hitter.
Odor swatted his second leadoff homer of the week Saturday and has a team-high six home runs, but manager Jeff Banister believes that the Rangers might be better served with Odor deeper in the lineup where his hits can drive in more runs.
Choo also has the power to start a game with a homer and has a better on-base percentage than Odor.
“There’s not a whole lot of walks there,” Banister said of Odor. “He swings the bat.”
While Banister likes seeing a leadoff homer, he also likes the idea of a bigger inning with someone who reaches base more regularly ahead of the heart of the order.
Odor doesn’t have any preference where he bats.
“I don’t care where they put me,” he said. “If they need me to bat leadoff, I’m just going to do my best.”
Trimming the fat
Martin Perez tossed five scoreless innings Tuesday at Toronto, and the left-hander said it was a good start. He also said that it could have been better had he been able to lower his pitch count in a few innings.
Perez was pulled after throwing 90 pitches, as a few long at-bats added to his total. His goal ahead of his scheduled start Sunday is to find a way to work more efficiently to get deeper into games.
“That’s what I’m trying to do by making a pitch when I need to,” said Perez, who is 1-2 with a 3.60 ERA. “I need to be more aggressive in the strike zone — just throw the ball where I want it.”
The Rangers have won just one of his six starts, but he is also receiving only 3.09 runs per nine innings. He continues to lead the majors in double plays, with 13 induced.
Jeff Wilson: 817-390-7760, @JeffWilson_FWST
This story was originally published May 7, 2016 at 8:27 PM with the headline "Rangers sign Drew Stubbs to fill out bench, create versatility."