Rangers’ Tolleson to miss up to a week tending to ailing father

Texas Rangers relief pitcher Shawn Tolleson was placed on the Major League family medical list so that he can spend some time with his ailing father in Allen.

Dr. Mark Tolleson, a Dallas veterinarian, has been diagnosed with colon cancer and lymphoma in the past nine months.

“For the last two weeks, he’s not been feeling very good,” Shawn Tolleson said. “He’s just been at home, not a lot of energy, and spent about a week in the emergency room.”

The special list allows players to miss a minimum of three days and a maximum of seven, with permission from the commissioner’s office.

“Right now at this moment, there is a need for Shawn to be with his father. We’re going to honor and respect that and give him time to do that,” Rangers manager Jeff Banister said.

Infielder Jurickson Profar, who was going to be called up anyway as Rougned Odor began his seven-game suspension Friday, took Tolleson’s spot on the 25-man roster.

Players continue to accumulate major league service time. If an absence extends more than seven days, the club must resort to placing the player on the restricted list, where he is not paid and does not earn service time.

“It’s just tough time for my family … it’s just been hard for everybody,” Shawn Tolleson said. “This is really just an opportunity for me to be home and be there for my family.”

Tolleson said the decision to take a few days off was made Friday, but the health of his father has been “weighing heavily on me.”

“I’m not one to make excuses for myself as far as baseball goes. Guys go through a lot of stuff through the course of the season. We have lives just like everyone else. Everyone’s got a job they’ve got to perform in the midst of what life throws at you, so I don’t have any excuses for my performance on the field.”

Tolleson has struggled in recent weeks and was removed as the closer after blowing a save May 17. He rebounded in his next appearance May 23, pitching a scoreless 1  1/3 innings. But on Wednesday he allowed a three-run homer without retiring a batter.

“I’m healthy, I feel good. I try to not let what’s going on affect me here,” he said. “At the same time, some things are so important to you that they’re always on your mind. I just need to be home right now, so that’s where I’m going.”

Chirinos to rehab

Catcher Robinson Chirinos is scheduled to begin his rehab assignment Tuesday with Double A Frisco.

Chirinos has been on the disabled list since April 10 after fracturing his right forearm. An X-ray earlier this week showed the bone was healed. He caught five innings of a simulated game before Friday’s game and hit live batting practice on the field for the first time.

“It’s good to hit inside, but to go outside and hit, it was fun,” he said. “It’s mostly getting comfortable at the plate and I think that’s going to come in the minor leagues playing some games.”

Chirinos is eligible to come off the 60-day disabled list June 9. He expects to spend a week with Frisco and be reinstated on that date. The club wants Chirinos to get about 45 at-bats in the minors and catch consecutive nine-inning games before he returns.

To make room for Chirinos, the club will have to decide between keeping Bobby Wilson or Bryan Holaday.

‘96 team salute

The 1996 Rangers club that won the franchise’s first division title will be honored in a pregame ceremony June 21 when the club hosts the Cincinnati Reds at Globe Life Park. The ’96 Rangers finished 90-72 to win the American League West by 4  1/2 games. More than 20 players and coaches will be on hand for the salute, including Pudge Rodriguez and Will Clark, along with former team president Tom Schieffer and former general manager Doug Melvin.

Legends series

Clark and Rodriguez will also be the special guests for the Rangers’ Evening with a Legend Series from 5-6:30 p.m. at the Hall of Fame at Globe Life Park before the game. Tickets for the Legend event are $500 per couple and includes a multi-course dinner, photographs with Clark and Rodriguez, an autographed baseball, tickets to that night’s game and a Rangers goody bag. Proceeds benefit the Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation. For tickets and more information, go to texasrangers.com/foundation or call 817-273-5030.

Tickets limited

A limited number of obstructed view and scattered single seats, plus standing room only tickets, remain for Saturday’s 6:15 p.m. game with Pittsburgh. Yu Darvish is scheduled to make his first start with the Rangers since having Tommy John surgery.

This story was originally published May 27, 2016 at 7:25 PM with the headline "Rangers’ Tolleson to miss up to a week tending to ailing father."