Texas Rangers activate Shawn Kelley, option Brett Martin

Texas Rangers transactions: Shawn Kelley has been activated from the 10 day injured list, the team announced today. To make room on the active roster for Kelley, the Rangers have optioned Brett Martin to AAA Nashville.

This is somewhat surprising. With the righthanded reliever Kelley being activated, the assumption has been that the Rangers would drop a relief pitcher, but speculation has been that Jeanmar Gomez (he of the 8.22 ERA in 15.1 IP) would be waived, or else Jeffrey Springs would be sent down. Instead, it is Martin, who has a 7.20 ERA and a 5.29 FIP in 15 innings over 14 games, who goes down.

This would seem to be the Rangers looking to preserve their depth, since cutting loose Gomez would likely mean losing him from the organization. That being said, the Rangers will need to make another move on Saturday to activate Elvis Andrus, who went hitless in 3 at bats as the DH for Frisco earlier today.

Kelley was on the i.l. to have lumps removed from his throat. The biopsy results indicated that they were benign, which is good news for Kelley.