In the first two weeks of the season, the Rangers have lost 4 players to injury already. First was Delino DeShields, lost back on March 31 with a fractured bone in his hand. He is expected to miss 4-6 weeks. After that, the Rangers lost Rougned Odor to a hamstring strain on April 9th. He is expected to miss significant time. On the same day, the Rangers lost Doug Fister to a hip injury, and he is expected to be sidelined for two to three weeks. Wednesday night, the Rangers lost the player leading in hits and batting average on the team. Elvis Andrus suffered a fractured elbow after being hit by a 97 mph fastball in the bottom of the ninth inning against the Angels.
The Rangers started the season with a team that was considered by some to be less than post season ready, and now two weeks in that same team is missing four players that were on the opening day roster. Things went from mediocre to more mediocre. Hanser Alberto will probably be called up to man second base while Jurickson Profar will likely take over duties at shortstop for the time being. Bartolo Colon will take over Fister’s spot on the rotation. Isaiah Kiner-Faliefa will stay as a bench player as well. So what does this mean to a team that has only won four games so far in 2018? I believe that won’t be able to win more than 6 games in April, and that will pretty much take them out of the post season hunt.
Adrian Beltre could be on the trading block sooner rather than later, Cole Hamels as well. The Rangers are going no where fast, and I believe it will be mostly up to Beltre if he wants to stay or if he wants to go. Hamels on the other hand, if he is having a good season, it is almost a sure thing he will be dealt. If you enjoy Rangers baseball just to watch it, then you will enjoy this season. If you want to see a winning product on the field, then don’t expect to enjoy the season at all. It is going to be a long season.
