ARLINGTON, Texas — As the Chrises in charge of the Rangers go, one is given a bit to hyperbole, the other not so much.
So, when ebullient, optimistic manager Chris Woodward speaks of a player being the best he’s ever seen at anything, you chalk it up to enthusiasm. But when it’s the more reserved and measured GM, Chris Young, who slips for even a moment into hype man mode, you take note.
Like Monday, for example. Talking about the start of rookie Ezequiel Duran, he let this slip: “It’s been phenomenal.”
Phenomenal.
This was all the qualifier to an attempt to answer a more challenging and, at least for now, hypothetical question. That being: What will you do with Duran when Josh Smith returns from the injured list?
“Aw, you aren’t going to go there, are you?” he said.
How can you not?
In the three weeks since the Rangers decided their offense needed some kind of jolt, that’s exactly what Smith, before a shoulder injury, and Duran since have provided. The duo, the Yankees’ gift to the Rangers’ future as part of the Joey Gallo trade, began Tuesday slashing a composite .354/.426/.448/.874. And that was before Duran’s smart at-bat to start the third inning against Jose Urquidy that led to the Rangers’ first run in an eventual 4-3 loss to Houston that included blowing a three-run, eighth-inning lead.
The loss once again highlighted that despite a potential bright future, the Rangers are still not talented enough to overcome crucial mistakes. In the eighth, Corey Seager, playing at double-play depth, refused to take a double play after consecutive singles and that simply opened the door for a championship-caliber team to push it down.
Seager attempted to go home with Alex Bregman’s grounder, though the conventional play was to trade the run for two outs. While his throw home was on the mark, the Rangers blew the rundown when rookie catcher Sam Huff fired high to Duran, who could not corral the ball. A run scored. Everybody was safe.
Two batters later, Kyle Tucker drove a pitch from John King into the bullpen for the lead.
“When you don’t execute against these guys, they’ve been there, done that,” King said, speaking more about the hanging breaking ball than the defensive mistake. “They will get you.”
Seager was unavailable in the clubhouse after the loss. Woodward acknowledged that Seager should have taken the double-play opportunity that was presented him.
“He probably should have done that,” Woodward said. “But hindsight is 20-20. He’s playing aggressive, trying to make a play. It’s hard to fault him on that part. But, looking back on it, having two outs, up 3-1 and having [Yordan] Alvarez at the plate is still better.”
Despite the ugly come-from-ahead loss, the Rangers are improved from a year ago. Guys like Duran and Smith offer the possibility for more improvement to come. And the decision about them both is coming, perhaps faster than expected. Smith took batting practice for the second straight day Tuesday. His sprained left shoulder seems to be remarkably better after just 10 days. He could be headed on a rehab assignment before the end of the week.
“We’ll see how it plays out,” Young said of finding a way to work both Duran and Smith onto the roster and into the lineup together. “When we brought Ezequiel up, we thought it was probably for the short-term. We were bringing him up from Double-A. But he’s gotten off to a phenomenal start. I’ve just learned that these things usually end up working themselves out.”
For sure. Duran will cool down. He has to, doesn’t he? Smith’s rehab could plateau or, worse, he could regress.
Or, come about July 1, you could look out at the left side of the diamond and see one of them at third base and the other in left field. That’s one scenario the Rangers are considering.
After all, Smith and the Rangers talked about the outfield last winter. He even went out on his own and got an outfield glove. Played some center field down in Round Rock in the first month of the season. He hasn’t played left, but he’s willing to. He could use a week-long rehab assignment as a left field crash course. Eh, given circumstances of the last few days, maybe “left field” and “crash” are not a good combo. He could get a tutorial. He’s apparently a pretty quick learner.
It would also give the Rangers a bit more time to wrap their brains around exactly what it is that Duran is doing and if it’s sustainable. Even the ever-optimistic Woodward acknowledged being a bit surprised by Duran’s start.
“But he’s made adjustments in the time of one at-bat,” Woodward said. “He doesn’t seem to get bothered at this level. I don’t know if he’s been fully exposed yet. But there are just little things that keep happening out there that say he’s got a slow heartbeat. How long he stays is a matter of how consistent he is.”
And if he is, in two weeks you may just a whole new look on the left side of the field.
