SEATTLE — Injuries are nothing new to the Texas Rangers, so it comes as little surprise that another damaged body part has caught the attention of this team.
Mitch Moreland is back with the Rangers. (Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports)
That’s why the return of first baseman Mitch Moreland from an elbow injury during Sunday’s sixth inning was a welcome change in fortune for the injury-plagued Rangers. Moreland had missed two consecutive games and was looking at the possibility of missing up to two weeks if he needed a scope on the elbow.
But he came on for starting first baseman Adam Rosales in the sixth inning of Sunday’s 11-10 loss at Seattle, providing another experienced bat to a team in desperate need of healthy bodies.
The mounting injuries have led to growing frustration and a sense of deja vu. Last year’s Rangers fell out of contention early in the season as the team’s disabled list grew, and things look awfully familiar right about now.
Injuries have depleted the Rangers of three-fifths of their starting rotation as well as all of their left-handed relievers. Texas has again gotten off to a slow start because of the growing list of health issues.
The good news is the rest of the American League West has its own set of concerns, so the Rangers are still in the thick of the division race. That might not be saying much this early in the season, but Texas fans don’t have to remember too far back to find evidence of injuries knocking a team out of realistic playoff contention before the end of May.
Getting Moreland back was a good start for the hobbled Rangers. If nothing else, it might keep the Rangers’ DL from swelling like it did during last season’s disastrous campaign. Perhaps the injury bug has finally taken some time off.
