The Rangers come in playing their best baseball in a month, taking 3 straight from the Royals — including a 9-1 laugher Friday — after dropping back-to-back to Houston. They're still 28-31 and they're still doing it without Corey Seager, Wyatt Langford, Evan Carter and Josh Smith, which is a lot of offense to be missing in a building that doesn't usually punish you for it. Seager is finally close to a rehab assignment, but he's not walking through the door at Busch.
- Day-To-DayEvan Carter (CF) — Carter (foot) is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Royals.05/31
- Day-To-DaySebastian Walcott (SS) — Rangers GM Ross Fenstermaker said Tuesday that Walcott could be ready for game action in August, "if all things according to plan" in his rehab from the internal brace procedure he underwent on his right elbow, Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News reports.04/07
- 10-Day-ILCorey Seager (SS) — Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said Sunday that Seager (back) is expected to begin a minor-league rehab assignment during the upcoming week, Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News reports.05/31
- 10-Day-ILWyatt Langford (LF) — Langford (forearm) served as the designated hitter and went 0-for-2 with two walks and two runs scored in a rehab game for Triple-A Round Rock on Saturday.05/31
- 10-Day-ILJosh Smith (2B) — Smith (illness) rejoined his teammates at Globe Life Field on Thursday, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports.05/29
- 15-Day-ILCole Winn (RP) — Winn (0-1) took the loss against Pittsburgh on Wednesday, allowing three runs on two hits while striking out one over one-third of an inning.05/24
- 15-Day-ILRobert Garcia (RP) — Garcia (shoulder) began throwing from 80 feet out Friday, Jeff Wilson of AllDLLS.com reports.05/08
- OutDeclan Cronin (RP) — Cronin (elbow) signed a two-year, minor-league contract with the Rangers on Tuesday, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.05/08
- OutNabil Crismatt (SP) — Crismatt will undergo surgery to repair a torn UCL in his right elbow, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.05/08
- 60-Day-ILCarter Baumler (RP) — Baumler (intercostal) has been shut down from his rehab assignment, MLB.com reports.05/23
- 60-Day-ILCody Bradford (SP) — Bradford (elbow) began throwing from 60 feet during the Rangers' most recent homestand, MLB.com reports05/10
- 60-Day-ILJordan Montgomery (SP) — Montgomery (elbow) will throw his fifth bullpen session Tuesday, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.05/08
- Day-To-DayPacky Naughton (RP) — Naughton will undergo surgery next month to repair the damaged UCL in his left elbow, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.05/14
- Day-To-DaySem Robberse (SP) — Robberse (elbow) signed a minor-league contract with the Cardinals on Monday, which includes an invitation to spring training, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.05/08
- Day-To-DayVictor Santos (RP) — The Red Sox traded Santos (undisclosed) and Nick Robertson to the Cardinals on Friday in exchange for Tyler O'Neill (foot), Alex Speier of The Boston Globe reports.05/08
- Day-To-DayIxan Henderson (SP) — Henderson (elbow) is starting the season on the 60-day injured list at Triple-A Memphis.05/08
- Day-To-DayZack Thompson (RP) — The Cardinals reassigned Thompson (shoulder) to minor-league camp Monday.05/08
- 10-Day-ILNathan Church (LF) — Church (shoulder) received clearance from a specialist Tuesday to start a plyometric and strengthening program, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.05/27
- 10-Day-ILRamon Urias (3B) — Urias' (elbow) resumption of a throwing program is considered imminent, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.05/25
- 60-Day-ILLars Nootbaar (LF) — The Cardinals are eyeing June 1 as a target date for Nootbaar's (heels) activation from the 60-day injured list, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.05/21
The Cardinals have their own reinforcement coming: Lars Nootbaar has been targeting June 1 to be activated off the 60-day IL after double heel surgery, and he's expected to slot right in as the everyday left fielder when he's back. St. Louis is 31-26 and just took the rubber game from the Cubs 5-1 behind a vintage scuffed-up-but-winning weekend at home.
The angle here is simple: if deGrom keeps the ball in the yard, Texas wins this game. He's missing bats, he's not walking anyone, but the longball has been his one leak all year and Busch isn't exactly a launching pad to hide it. McGreevy doesn't blow you away — he just keeps making you put it in play, and a depleted Rangers lineup makes that a fair fight. The under at 7.5 (-104) looks like the cleanest read on the board.