PHOENIX -- As the calendar flips to September, the Rangers got some good news on the injury front: Corner infielder Jake Burger (left wrist discomfort) and reliever Chris Martin (left calf strain) were activated Monday prior to the team’s series opener against the D-backs at Chase Field.
The return of Burger comes at a time when Texas’ starting nine can use all of the reinforcements it can get following the recent loss of Corey Seager (appendectomy) and Marcus Semien (left foot fracture).
Burger, who was acquired last offseason in a deal with Miami, has scuffled to find his footing as his season has been perpetually interrupted by stints on the injured list, but he adds an experienced bat to the club’s quest to nab a spot in the 2025 postseason, whether via the American League West division crown or one of the three Wild Card spots.
There was no rehab stint this time around for Burger, who last appeared for the Rangers on Aug. 17.
Manager Bruce Bochy said pregame that the club would “pick our spots” with Burger, who was still dealing with residual issues from the wrist sprain. He didn’t start Monday, but was expected to be among the starting nine Tuesday night.
“Jake has been a warrior,” Rangers president of baseball operations Chris Young said on Aug. 18. “He's been one of our hottest hitters. It's terrible timing. I feel for him. He wants to push through it, but it’s just not the best decision for him at this point, given the swelling and inflammation. The game's hard enough when everything's feeling right, much less when you're in pain. So, hopefully, this will calm down quickly and he'll be back out there.”
But in nine August contests, Burger flashed glimpses of being that middle-of-the-order bat Bochy and Co. envisioned penciling in at the start of the year. He went 9-for-21 with six RBIs over that stretch, striking out just once in 23 plate appearances.
Texas’ first-base options will remain aplenty. Rowdy Tellez was brought aboard on July 5 and promoted from Triple-A Round Rock less than two weeks later, giving the club a left-handed-hitting weapon at the cold corner. Tellez and Burger won’t form a true platoon; Bochy cited both Josh Smith and Ezequiel Duran as options to also see time at first base over the final month. Ultimately, with no Seager or Semien, they’ll be getting creative and relying on their depth in an attempt to stay in the hunt.
With rosters expanding to 28 active players on Monday, the decision to bring back Martin was made. The 39-year-old has been one of Texas’ most reliable arms this season when healthy, posting a 2.36 ERA across 39 appearances entering Monday. He last appeared for the Rangers on July 20, with the bullpen posting a 4.59 ERA as a whole since he went down.
“Obviously we hope he makes a huge impact on our bullpen,” Bochy said. “He’s another experienced high-leverage reliever to help out. … I think any time you have a guy with his experience late in the ball game, it really improves your ball club.”
Despite having a pair of live bullpens shut down during August after his calf strain flared up, Martin made a rehab appearance for Double-A Frisco on Friday and retired all three batters that he faced, including a strikeout.