RADIO
Texas Rangers Update for Week 2: Fantasy Baseball News and Analysis
Due in large part to injuries in the spring and the scheduling, the Texas Rangers have stumbled a bit out of the gate, dropping two of their first three series of the 2014 season. The schedule is now more favorable, as the team abandons road games against playoff-caliber opponents in favor of a nine-game homestand against three teams (Houston, Seattle and the Chicago White Sox) that all finished well below .500 a year ago. However, injuries are still a problem.
Ace Yu Darvish threw seven shutout innings in his return last Sunday and starter Colby Lewis is almost ready to rejoin the rotation, so things are definitely looking up for a staff that was relying on the likes of Tanner Scheppers and Joe Saunders. But cleanup hitter Adrian Beltre hurt his left quad muscle last week, further limiting an offense that was already without starters Jurickson Profar and Geovany Soto. If Beltre does miss time, that could be a significant blow to an offense that is still trying to find its groove: despite a number of offseason additions that were supposed to shore up a group that struggled after the departure of Josh Hamilton, the Rangers have scored five or more runs in a game only twice in the young season. Even if Beltre stays in the lineup, both his offensive production and his range at third base may drop off a bit in the next few weeks. Anyone who has ever had a quad injury (this writer included) knows how hard it is to move around, let alone swing a bat or throw a ball.
Meanwhile, Prince Fielder is off to a very slow start. Fielder is still looking for his first round-tripper and he's bating just .162 going into the weekend. For the most part, he has also looked a bit sluggish (well, more sluggish than normal) at first base. If nine consecutive games at Batting Practice Park, er, Globe Life Park, cannot bring Fielder out of his slump, it may be time to start making some changes.
As of now, the Rangers look like the third-best team in the division. In another month, we should have a much better idea of how Texas matches up against the other top teams in the American League and how their players will help your team for the rest of the fantasy season.
