Series Thread: Rangers Host The Cardinals May 17-19

[Uncle Siggy]

Pitching updates: Volquez, Kelley

• The Rangers still have not activated reliever Shawn Kelley off the injured list. He has been sidelined with an infection, and Woodward said it will likely be a couple more days before he is ready. Kelley has been throwing on the side.

• Right-hander Edinson Volquez, who has been on the injured list since April 5 with a sprained right elbow, has been told his muscle is 95 percent better than from his first MRI, and there is no damage to the ligament. He will start playing catch in a few days, with the intention of pitching again for the Rangers this season.

• Right-hander Ariel Jurado will start on Saturday for the Rangers. Woodward considered using Chavez as an opener but couldn’t spare him from the back end with Kelley still not ready to return.

Looks like it may not be over "just yet" for Volquez.

 

[Nightcrawler]

That was the only place it could have been to get him, very good throw.

Not to be a buzzkill but I would rather see Joey in RF less wear and tear on that big body. CF beat Josh to death and don't want to see that happen to Joey his bat is too valuable. We have quite a few in the minors that can play CF hopefully one will come in and stake their claim to it in the next year or so.

Santana can play center field. I think we will definitely see some changes in this team by late July. I’m fully confident that the rangers roster move when Elvis gets back will be to drop a reliever. Santana is valuable because he can play 7 positions, is a switch hitter, is our best base runner now that Delino has been demoted, and his average is around .320, the rangers also have 2 more years of cheap team control on him. From what I’ve seen, keeping him is a no brainer.

Logan forsythe was a clutch performer in the Dodgers World Series run, he hit almost .300 during the playoffs and he gives pitchers fits by fouling off pitches, making pitchers work and drawing walks. It seems like whenever a guy goes down to injury, forsythe is the first guy to lineup and fill the hole. He’s made Woodward’s job a lot easier so far this season.

Hunter pence has reinvented himself. In the off-season, he re-worked his swing and it’s yielding results so far that nobody has expected. How do you keep his bat out of the lineup? Especially because he’s a righty and our team has so many left handed bats.

Choo has been great this year, but I’d like to see him traded for prospects so that it would free up a spot for Calhoun. It would also give forsythe,Santana, and pence more playing time. Lots of ranger fans say that forsythe and Santana aren’t priorities and that they weren’t part of the plan coming into the season, although that is true, good organizations can successfully change plans as they go.

I would be thrilled to have those guys as our bench players the next few years or have them step in and replace an underperforming starter if need be. All they’ve done is mash since they’ve been here. By comparison, our bench last year was ryan “ rally killer” rua, Carlos “ no bat” tocci, and drew Robinson. The bench is a big part of the reason our runs scored is one of the best in the league and of course the hitting coach deserves a lot of credit as well.

 

[Nightcrawler]

Jurado pitching tonight wonder if they will use Shelby in long relief tonight and see how that works out? For right now I think that's probably the best thing to do with him and see how he progresses. Different mindset coming out of the pen he doesn't have to hold back/pace himself can let it rip more.

Game is at 3:00. Won’t be any night time.

Just telling you because I don’t want ya to miss it.

 

[Uncle Siggy]

Game is at 3:00. Won’t be any night time.

Just telling you because I don’t want ya to miss it.

Won't be on the tube up here I always catch the highlights somewhere, besides have a excavator coming to do some stuff outside and won't have time anyway.

 

[DT LUNA]

Game is at 3:00. Won’t be any night time.

Just telling you because I don’t want ya to miss it.

Better check the weather. Not looking good.

 

[romeo212000]

Better check the weather. Not looking good.

It’s pouring here north of the red river.

 

[saddles]

Better check the weather. Not looking good.

Last night they said the rain should be cleared out by game time.

 

[saddles]

I hope they aren't setting Jurado up for an injury by letting him stay in the bullpen so long between starts.

 

[saddles]

 

[saddles]

Lasr night, The Wood Ducks had a box score that I don't know I have ever seen before. All 9 hitters went 1 for 4.

 

[saddles]

Last night they said the rain should be cleared out by game time.

Now they are saying the storms will arrive later than expected so who knows when the game will start.

 

[Uncle Siggy]

Santana can play center field.

True but he's never been the teams first choice to play there wherever he's been. He takes bad routes and forgets about the cutoff man, infield is more natural to him so leave him there.

 

[saddles]

True but he's never been the teams first choice to play there wherever he's been. He takes bad routes and forgets about the cutoff man, infield is more natural to him so leave him there.

If we were going to be contenders I would worry more about Santana's abilities in CF. If he started 90% of the remaining games in CF it wouldn't bother me this year. I would like to see him and Calhoun play most every day the rest of the year.

 

[saddles]

 

[Uncle Siggy]

If we were going to be contenders I would worry more about Santana's abilities in CF. If he started 90% of the remaining games in CF it wouldn't bother me this year. I would like to see him and Calhoun play most every day the rest of the year.

The season isn't a lost cause yet so if I'm Woodward I'm more interested in the attitude/mindset of those in the clubhouse(including Santana's).

Players not hitting is one thing not playing good defense is something else, there is nothing worse than losing winnable games because your defense is sloppy (and really is bad if you're not making up for it some other way). Sooner or later it gets to be a distraction and then play gets worse throughout the clubhouse and before long the players are just mailing it in the coaching staff gets fired (is that what you want)??

If they play close to .500 ball that is an accomplishment which will make the players look forward to making adjustments over the winter, playing next year, coaches coming back and fans showing up to watch them play. You don't put butts in the seats you won't make any money and no money means crappy players, just ask Tampa Bay and Miami... (Texas attendance is better than those 2 teams put together)

 

[Kelleyman]

I know facing good pitching is big factor in wins and losses but filling holes in the lineup is big too. Adding Calhoun and Maz and Odor coming around makes us an upper tier lineup. Losing DDJ means better pitches to the guy batting ahead of him.

Gallo wear and tear it's legit concern but who else in MLB makes that throw? Only a few and the list does not include Trout

 

[saddles]

The season isn't a lost cause yet so if I'm Woodward I'm more interested in the attitude/mindset of those in the clubhouse(including Santana's).

Players not hitting is one thing not playing good defense is something else, there is nothing worse than losing winnable games because your defense is sloppy (and really is bad if you're not making up for it some other way). Sooner or later it gets to be a distraction and then play gets worse throughout the clubhouse and before long the players are just mailing it in the coaching staff gets fired (is that what you want)??

If they play close to .500 ball that is an accomplishment which will make the players look forward to making adjustments over the winter, playing next year, coaches coming back and fans showing up to watch them play. You don't put butts in the seats you won't make any money and no money means crappy players, just ask Tampa Bay and Miami... (Texas attendance is better than those 2 teams put together)

They put up with DeShields learning CF when they were a better team than they are now so playing Santana isn't a sure sign they have given up or anything. He has a lot more experience out there than DeShields had when he first started here.

I think they have to make personnel decisions based on the fact that contention comes later and not now. This season was deemed to be a rebuilding year last offseason, so making decisions presently like it is, shouldn't be a surprise to anyone.

I want to get prepared to be champions one day. I want that more than winning 80 games this year. A whole lot more. The big picture is much more important.

 

[Nightcrawler]

You know what’s crazy about the lineup?

Calhoun is probably our most productive hitter in the #2 hole this year and the kid has only played 3 games.

 

[saddles]

 

[DT LUNA]

Prayer are in order. Wishing him the very best