Texas Rangers CF Wyatt Langford to IL again with oblique strain while RHP Nathan Eovaldi returns
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Texas Rangers center fielder Wyatt Langford has been put on the 10-day injured list because of an oblique strain for the second time this season.
Chris Young, the team's president of baseball operations, said Friday that Langford has a 'very low grade' strain. The second-year outfielder hasn't played since Tuesday in Baltimore.
'Feel like it's just the right thing to do. With two off days, it shortens the amount of games missed,' Young said. 'Just getting this right on the front end.'
The Rangers, also before the opener of their home series against Seattle, activated right-hander Nathan Eovaldi from the 15-day injured list to start Friday night, exactly one month after his last game before going on the IL because of elbow inflammation. Right-handed reliever Dane Dunning was sent back to Triple-A Round Rock.
Michael Helman, a outfielder-middle infielder who was claimed off waivers from Pittsburgh last month, was being brought up from Triple-A to take over Langford's roster spot.
Young said Langford's issue was 'just on the cusp' of whether he needed to go on the IL. But the move was backdated to Wednesday, and combined with off days for the Rangers on consecutive Thursdays, Langford will miss only eight games if he has the expected minimal IL stay. He would be eligible to return July 5 at San Diego.
Langford missed nine games in mid-April while on the IL with a right oblique strain, while the latest issue is on the left side. He is hitting .232 with a team-leading 13 home runs and 31 RBIs.
Bradford's surgery
Left-hander Cody Bradford was back in the clubhouse with teammates and went to the pregame pitching meeting Friday, two days season-ending elbow surgery.
Young said Bradford's surgery was successful, and that team physician Dr. Keith Meister did an internal brace procedure rather than a more extensive procedure. The pitcher will still be out at least 10-12 months, but that is shorter than if he had needed Tommy John surgery.
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Bradford was expected to be part of the starting rotation this season, but was shut down during spring training in mid-March because of elbow soreness. His rehab had been going good until Bradford felt something in his elbow when he resumed throwing after a recent flu bug.
The 27-year-old Bradford is 10-6 with a 4.28 ERA in 34 games (21 starts) for Texas the past two seasons. As a rookie, Bradford was 1-0 with a 1.17 ERA in five relief appearances during the 2023 playoffs when the Rangers won their first World Series title. He pitched a scoreless inning in both of his World Series appearances.
'The brace procedure, optimistically, would mean a shorter timeline to returning to competition,' Young said. 'All things considered, everything went smoothly. It was the best of the outcomes we could have anticipated.'
___
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