How soon could Rangers’ Jake Burger, Kyle Higashioka return from soft tissue injuries?

ARLINGTON — It wouldn’t be reflective of this Texas Rangers season to go a day without discussion of soft tissue injuries.

Rangers first baseman Jake Burger (quad strain) and catcher Kyle Higashioka (light hamstring strain) both hit before Saturday’s game vs. the Atlanta Braves at Globe Life Field. Each instance, though, isn’t necessarily created equally.

Burger, who has yet to play in the season’s second half, hit in the cages during the game and is still multiple weeks away from his return. He said Saturday that his ability to swing a bat is less predicated on his left quad because it isn’t the leg that drives force. His ability to run — which he did lightly Friday — is a greater indicator of his health.

The 29-year-old first baseman said that he and the team have targeted an Aug. 8 game vs. the Philadelphia Phillies as a potential return date should his progression continue as planned. Burger, who’s slashed .228/.259/.401 with 11 home runs in 75 games this season, also missed time this season with an oblique strain.

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Higashioka tweaked his hamstring in Tuesday’s win vs. the Athletics and hasn’t played since. The Rangers do not believe that Higashioka — who was diagnosed with half of a Grade 1 hamstring strain — needs to be placed on the injured list. The 35-year-old catcher classified himself as “day-to-day” Saturday afternoon before he took batting practice on the field.

Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said that Higashioka could play Saturday if absolutely necessary. Higashioka had taken over the lion’s share of starts catcher and slashed .327/.345/.527 with three home runs in the 15 games prior to his injury.

“We’ll continue to monitor his progress,” Bochy said, “and see where he’s at in the next day or two and when he can start.”

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