Hunter Pence is done for the year

Texas Rangers outfielder Hunter Pence has said he will not play again this season, per the beat guys on Twitter. Joey Gallo, meanwhile, indicated that it appears unlikely he will play again, though it has not been officially ruled out.

Pence has been on the injured list with a strained lower back, which, per the beats, he says got worse when he was trying to work on things in Oakland during the Rangers’ last series. Gallo has been on the injured list after undergoing surgery to remove a broken hamate bone in his hand.

Pence and Gallo have been the Rangers’ two best hitters this year, and for Pence, in particular, it was a remarkable renaissance, given that he struggled mightily in 2017 and 2018 with the San Francisco Giants and came to camp with the Rangers on a minor league deal. Pence put up a .297/.358/.552 slash line in 316 plate appearances this year, while also being named to the All Star Team for the fourth time in his career (and the first time as an American Leaguer).

There’s been some indication that Pence, whose presence in the clubhouse has been praised by just about everyone, could return to the Rangers next year as a righthanded bench bat/COF/DH, though whether there’s a role for him likely depends on other moves the Rangers make for 2020 and what they choose to do with Nick Solak, who has been getting a fair amount of starts at DH down the stretch.