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The Texas Rangers have placed pitcher Joely Rodriguez on the injured list with a strained left hamstring, the team announced today. To replace him on the active roster, the Rangers have activated Jesse Chavez.
Rodriguez injured his hamstring in last night’s game while pitching, and it was obvious at the time he was likely i.l. bound. With the season ending three weeks from today, Chris Woodward said Rodriguez is likely done for the year.
Rodriguez, a 28 year old lefthander, battled injuries this season, but when he was on the mound he was very effective, putting up a 2.13 ERA and a 1.65 FIP in 12.2 IP, striking out 17 of the 52 batters he faced. He is under contract for 2021, and the Rangers hold a team option on him for 2022.
Chavez, 37, will presumably step into the same sort of middle relief role he had when he went on the injured list, though between his ineffectiveness this year (a 8.74 ERA and 9.50 FIP in 11.1 IP) and the Rangers wanting to look at younger players, his innings may be limited.
The righthander may be nearly the end of his time in the big leagues. He had a resurgence in 2018, when he put up a 2.55 ERA in 95.1 IP after a disappointing 2017 campaign with the Angels, but he has a 5.34 ERA and a 5.05 FIP in 89.1 IP over 60 games since the start of 2019.