Texas Rangers Biggest Obstacle: Managing Injures
By Reid Hanson
The biggest task the Texas Rangers must conquer this season is how they manage workloads and deal with injuries.
Injuries are an inevitable part of the 162-game regular season grind. How teams prepare, prevent, manage, and rehab injuries often times are what separates the winners from the losers. That is certainly to be the case this season as the Texas Rangers look to defend their AL West crown.
The Texas Rangers enter spring training with a litany of injury concerns. Some players are rehabbing back, while others are out altogether. And on top of that, the Texas Rangers have a number of veteran players whose health is paramount to any hope of postseason success. Managing the workload for those veteran players may be the most difficult task of all.
Rehabs have timelines and benchmarks. A player like Yu Darvish, who is recovering from Tommy John surgery, has a set timetable to work with. If he continues to hit his goals he will continue his rehab as planned. He’s expected back by the end of May and could be pitching by early June.
Once back in the rotation, Yu Darvish will need to be watched closely. The Texas Rangers need to carefully work him back in so he can be at his best for the postseason. A Texas Rangers squad looks extremely formidable with Cole Hamels and Yu Darvish at the top of the rotation and the Rangers need to make sure they do everything within their power to make sure that happens.
Martin Perez and Derek Holland are two other pitchers that have injury histories themselves. They need to be monitored throughout the season as well because both figure into any possible postseason rotation the Texas Rangers would construct.
Prince Fielder and Adrian Beltre are both aging veterans who the Rangers lean on heavily throughout the season. Both provide the bulk of the power on a relatively power-starved lineup and both are irreplaceable should a significant injury occur.
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Young players like CF Delino DeShields, SP Chi Chi Gonzalez, and SP Nick Martinez will need to be given rest and relief throughout the season. It may be tempting to ride them for extended stretches (Especially DeShields who is also the leadoff hitter), but the Rangers need to resist the urge of riding them into the ground.
A healthy Shin-Soo Choo (both mentally and physically) is key to the Texas Rangers’ success because we’ve seen how poorly he plays when he’s not “right” and we know how much of an asset he can be when he is “right”.
Josh Hamilton is sure to be injured throughout the Texas Rangers 2016 season. His injury history essentially guarantees it. But the Texas Rangers can’t just simply ride him until he breaks and then rinse and repeat. A team with a red-hot Josh Hamilton is team that’s tough to beat. The trick is timing his health and praying for a hot streak at just the right time.
Next: Rangers: Who Will be the Breakout Player in 2016?
The defending AL West Champion, Texas Rangers, appear to be in much better shape this season than they were last season. But they need to be smart in the way they manage injuries and workloads so they are at their best when it counts the most.