For all the Cubs love this season, the Rangers went into their off-day Thursday with the same number of wins (47) as Chicago and the biggest division lead (10 games) of any team.
Yet, they are dealing with crisis.
On Wednesday, the Rangers announced Colby Lewis, who was under All-Star consideration, will miss at least two months with a strained lat and Derek Holland, who missed more than four months last year with a shoulder injury, was being put on the 15-day DL with left shoulder inflammation. Yu Darvish, in his return from Tommy John surgery, made just three starts before being put back on the DL with a shoulder ailment.
That leaves ace Cole Hamels and Martin Perez. The oft-injured A.J. Griffin (shoulder) is due off the DL this weekend to join the recently promoted Nick Martinez and eventually either Kyle Lohse or Chi Chi Gonzalez. The Rangers host the Red Sox this weekend before four games in the Bronx next week.
The acquisition of Hamels last July now looks doubly good. But it also should be a reminder. Texas fell eight games out after Hamels’ first start last Aug. 1, yet rallied to overtake Houston for the AL West crown.
Texas built this commanding lead behind an AL-best rotation ERA (3.61). Now, three starters are on the DL coinciding with the Astros having won seven of eight to get back over .500 and finally look like the contender they were expected to be.
“There is zero complacency here,” Rangers assistant GM Thad Levine said by phone. “We lived the converse last year. We have the utmost respect for Houston and Seattle. We think both teams will surge and this will tighten up. So our approach is this is a dogfight.”
Keep in mind, though: Even after giving up big prospects to get Hamels last July, the Rangers continue to be viewed as having among the deepest minor league systems in the game.
“We have five weeks until the trade deadline,” Levine said. “This may shift a little of our attention in conversations with other clubs. It [starting pitching] was something always on our radar — maybe more so now.”