July 1, and the Rangers are two games over .500. Christopher Davis, Max Ramirez, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Josh Hamilton, and Brandon Boggs are all getting at least semi-regular playing time right now, and Scott Feldman, Eric Hurley, and Luis Mendoza are all in the rotation.
You have to feel kind of good about the way things stand right now.
Evan Grant credits a newly stable bullpen with getting the Rangers past the 1 game over ceiling they'd been bumping into, with Frankie Francisco, Jamey Wright, and C.J. Wilson combining for 3 1/3 shutout innings yesterday.
Jim Reeves offers his thoughts on what the Rangers should do at the coming deadline:
If they can survive the next couple of weeks, here’s my suggestion: They should be both buyers and sellers. Prudently, on both counts.
Let’s be sensible here. Chris Davis has been here less than a week but has shown nothing to make us believe he’s not ready to do at the major league level what he’s already done at every minor league level he’s played. He’s homered in his first two starts as a Ranger and doubled in a run in Monday night’s game.
At Yankee Stadium.
In the first game he ever played here, the first time he ever saw the place.
First base is his, for now and the foreseeable future, or at least it should be.
What about Hank Blalock? I’m glad you asked.
The Rangers either put Blalock back at third base and keep him there or they put him on the market. He can’t stay here if he’s not playing, that’s clear.
The fact that the Rangers hold an option on him for next year makes him attractive to other teams, but the Rangers will have to get him back into the lineup long enough for him to prove that he’s healthy and can still hit.
Then, if they can trade him for pitching, starter or bullpen help, do it.
Although Ron Washington is saying that the Rangers are in it because they are only 7.5 games back (that was before yesterday's games -- they are 6.5 back now), I'm not optimistic. I'm not that impressed with either Anaheim or the A's, but the reality is that the Rangers have 2 teams to try to pass, and (in essence) 7 games to make up in half a season. It is possible, but not likely, and I don't know that we should be, at this point, considering the Rangers contenders.
Kason Gabbard's elbow is inflamed, but an MRI showed no structural damage.