Groin strain puts Rangers’ Kinsler on DL
July 29, 2010
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP)—For the second time this season the Texas Rangers aregoing to have to play without All-Star second baseman Ian Kinsler(notes).
He was placed on the 15-day disabled list Thursday with a strained leftgroin.
The move came a day after Kinsler sat out a 3-1 loss to the Oakland A’s. Hestarted the season on the disabled list and missed the first 22 games with ahigh ankle sprain sustained in spring training.
Kinsler is hitting .298 with six home runs and 38 RBIs in 76 games. Hereached base in 25 straight games before going 0 for 5 against the A’s onTuesday night. He will be eligible to come off the disabled list Aug. 12.
The Rangers replaced him on the roster with first baseman Mitch Morelandfrom Triple-A Oklahoma City and in the lineup with Joaquin Arias(notes), who was makinghis 14th start at second base. Texas, which started the day with a 7 1/2 -game leadover Oakland in the AL West, got another possible replacement Thursday byacquiring Jorge Cantu(notes) from Florida.
The trade was made to add a right-handed hitting first baseman. Cantu cameup as a second baseman and could be an option.
“He does have some track record there, so it’s a possibility,” generalmanager Jon Daniels said. “But this had nothing to do with Ian.”
Cantu said he’s more comfortable at first base, but he’s willing to dowhatever the team wants.
“I’ll talk to (them) and we’ll see where we go from there,” he said.
Rangers manager Ron Washington said Kinsler experienced the groin problemfor the last three days. The team decided to shut Kinsler down following an MRIon Wednesday, hoping the injury will heal in the next two weeks.
“Anytime you strain a groin, it’s serious,” Washington said. “He’s beenplaying with it. But this is too important. We want to have him down thestretch. We need him to play. We don’t want a sprain to become a pull. This waywe can get the 15 days and get it over with. It would be easy for something toget worse.”
Washington moved Josh Hamilton(notes) from the No. 5 spot in his batting order toNo. 3, where Kinsler has hit for most of the season. Nelson Cruz(notes) took Hamilton’sNo. 5 slot behind Vladimir Guerrero(notes).
Hamilton was the No. 3 hitter for 61 games last season.
Moreland, a 17th-round draft pick in 2007, was hitting .289 with 12 homeruns and 65 RBIs in 95 games at Oklahoma City. He started Thursday night in hismajor league debut.
Moreland was notified about his callup late Wednesday night. He got up earlyon Thursday and drove from Oklahoma City to Arlington to join his new team.
“Since I could walk, this is what I’ve wanted to do,” Moreland said. “Iwoke up, packed up what I could, and got here as fast as I could.”
Texas made room for Moreland on the 40-man roster by transferring relieverMark Lowe(notes) to the 60-day DL. Lowe came to Texas along with ace left-hander CliffLee(notes) in a trade with Seattle earlier this month. Lowe has been on the DL sinceMay 3 with a back injury that required surgery.
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