Rangers to select first base contracts Greg Bird and right-handed Jimmy Herget Before tomorrow’s game, tweet Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Texas already opened a spot on the 40-man list by bringing the wounded closer Jose Leclerc in 45 day IL, but they will need to create another place tomorrow. First base Ronald Guzman He has already been sent to the Rangers’ alternative training site, according to the Rangers press release announcing Leclerc’s injury.
Bird signed a minor league deal with Texas over the winter. The long-time Yankees prospect looked like the first baseman of the future in the Bronx, when he debuted at age 22 and cut a .261 / .343 / .529 cut with 11 home runs in just 46 games in 2015. Unfortunately for Bird missed the entire 2016 campaign after shoulder surgery and has since been hobbled by injuries. Persistent ankle problems required another surgery for the slugger, and his 2019 campaign was torpedoed by plantar fasciitis. With the appearance of Luke VoitThe Yankees released Bird instead of presenting him with a contract this winter.
Now 27, Bird joins the Rangers roster as a .211 / .301 / .424 hitter for life. It is not expected to serve as the first base every day; that role is handled by a veteran Todd frazier – but Bird will mingle there and on the designated hitter from time to time. Meanwhile, Guzmán, a former top prospect, will have time to sort things out at an alternate camp.
As for Herget, he’ll get his second look at the big leagues after debuting with the Reds a year ago. He only pitched 6 1/3 frames with Cincinnati and allowed three runs in that time. The 2015 sixth-round pick has a career 3.12 ERA with more than one strikeout per frame in 150 2/3 innings of Triple A, but he also averaged four bases for nine at that time.
