Rangers activate Cruz
In case you haven’t noticed, the Texas Rangers have been battling injuries, and you could be forgiven for not noticing. It’s been hard to notice this as the Rangers have still maintained their comfortable lead in the AL West. A playoff spot and a division title seem to be locked up for them and they have now received an additional boost as they activated outfielder Nelson Cruz.
"I knew how we handle that would decide how competitive we could be down the stretch and if we could be in position to win the division," Rangers’ Manager Ron Washington said. "I think we've handled it pretty well."
Cruz spent 15 days on the disabled list with a strained hamstring. Cruz has been on the disabled list three times this season, all due to hamstring injuries. That has totalled to one-third of the season. When he’s healthy he’s a big contributor in the Rangers’ hitting. In just 77 games this season, he has hit 16 home runs and 64 RBIs. He has also batted an outstanding .320 and brings a speed factor with his base-running. He is second on the team with 15 stolen bases and fourth in RBIs and homers. That’s remarkable considering the amount of time he has missed.
Cruz played in three rehab games in Double-A action last week. He went 4-for-11 with a double and an RBI. Now his return to the Rangers line-up should provide enough man-power for Texas add to the stranglehold on their division.
At the rate the Rangers are going, they may be just two or three weeks away from essentially clinching their division. They still have plenty to play for as they are in a tight race for the second seed in the American League. As the playoff picture stands now, the Rangers hold the third seed, one game behind the Minnesota Twins who hold the second seed. That would mean the Rangers and Twins would face off in the ALDS and the Twins would have home-field advantage. In addition, the Rangers are seven games behind the New York Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays who lead the majors. The Rangers still have an outside chance of catching them and locking down home-field advantage throughout the American League playoffs.
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