Jake Burger was one of the Rangers’ hottest bats before suffering a wrist injury on Aug. 17, but not every injury spells the end of a season.
Manager Bruce Bochy said Burger could be activated from the injured list as soon as Monday, potentially rejoining Texas ahead of its three-game set against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The first baseman, sidelined since Aug. 18 with a left wrist sprain, left the team during its series against Oakland in West Sacramento to continue rehabbing at the club’s Surprise, Ariz. complex. He took swings in the cage and on the field Saturday and then faced live pitching on Sunday.
“Jake’s doing well,” Bochy said before Sunday’s finale. “He had a really good session \[Saturday] in the cage and in BP.”
Before going down, Burger had been on a tear. He exited an Aug. 17 game against Toronto with what was first called wrist discomfort, but not before posting a .467/.529/.667 slash line over his previous seven games. In 21 second-half contests, he carried a 1.097 OPS.
Outfielder Sam Haggerty, also injured on Aug. 17 with left ankle inflammation, is progressing more slowly. He still can’t run and has been limited in baseball activity, with Bochy estimating he’s at least a week away. Haggerty had been one of Texas’ most reliable options against lefties, batting .318/.376/.435 versus southpaws.
Meanwhile, the Rangers are evaluating next steps for veteran reliever Chris Martin following a strong rehab outing Friday at Double-A Round Rock. The 39-year-old, out since July 21 with a left calf strain, threw a scoreless inning and successfully handled a defensive play without issue. Despite the setbacks in his recovery, his 2.36 ERA across 39 appearances still stands as the lowest among Rangers relievers who have been with the big-league club all season.
