Dario Alvarez activated, Mike Napoli to the d.l.

The Texas Rangers have placed first baseman Mike Napoli on the disabled list due to back problems, retroactive to June 3, the team has announced. Replacing Napoli on the active roster is lefthanded relief pitcher Dario Alvarez.

Alvarez was placed on the d.l. a couple of weeks ago with an elbow issue, and hasn’t made any rehab appearances, but the team apparently feels he’s good to go.

In the meantime, Joey Gallo will presumably take over as the regular first baseman in Napoli’s absence. Hopefully Napoli won’t be on the shelf for long, but back problems can be problematic, and at this point, it isn’t clear how long he’s going to be unavailable.