Jake Burger’s season has already given the Rangers plenty to like. Now Texas is waiting to see how long it might have to do without one of its most important bats.
Burger exited Saturday’s 3-0 loss to the Los Angeles Angels after taking a fastball off his left wrist in the third inning. The pitch from Angels starter Ryan Johnson sent him to the ground in pain, clutching at the hand and wrist. Rangers manager Skip Schumaker and a trainer checked on him before Burger took first base, and he initially stayed in the game.
He even returned to the field in the fourth inning, but his night ended in the fifth when Nicky Lopez came on to replace him.
The early news was encouraging. The Rangers said Burger has a left wrist contusion, and X-rays showed no fractures. Schumaker said, “It [the pitch] got him good.”
“He's pretty swollen, pretty sore,” Schumaker said to Rangers Sports Network after Saturday's 3-0 loss. “So far, the X-rays are negative, but we'll probably get more scans, and he'll see the doctor later tonight [Saturday].
It squared him up pretty good. It was pretty scary.”
For now, Texas has to map out the short-term first-base picture. Burger has handled the position in 121 games this season, but the Rangers do have a few internal options if he needs time off.
Josh Smith had also appeared at first base for Texas, but he was dealt to the Toronto Blue Jays at the deadline. That leaves Joc Pederson, Justin Foscue and Ezequiel Duran as the remaining players who have logged time there this year.
Duran is the cleanest defensive answer, though the Rangers have been using him at third base with Josh Jung on the injured list because of a strained left calf. Even that hasn’t been settled lately. Duran has also spent time in left field twice this week while Wyatt Langford got two days at designated hitter.
If Texas shifts Duran to first, Cody Freeman could step in at third. Freeman has already played there when Duran moved to left field earlier in the week. From there, the Rangers could use Foscue or Nicky Lopez at second base, a setup that could fit against left-handed pitching.
Pederson is another possibility. He’s the DH against right-handed pitching and can handle the field in a pinch, though he may not be the strongest defensive choice. Foscue can also play the position, but he profiles better against left-handed pitching than right-handed pitching.
Burger was sitting at .235/.297/.416 with 21 home runs and 73 RBI when he left the game. Only Pederson, with 22 homers, had more long balls on the Rangers. That’s the production Texas would miss most if Burger needs more than a brief recovery.
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