ANAHEIM, Calif. — The tributes to Ozzy Osbourne have poured in for a week. Unsure if Jonah Heim is a Black Sabbath fan, but when the Rangers have needed it he has stepped up as Iron Man.
With Kyle Higashioka effectively sidelined with a hamstring issue for the last week, Heim caught for the fifth straight day on Monday. It’s the longest streak of consecutive games behind the plate for a Rangers catcher since Heim did it last June.
Just as important: He’s had one of his best weeks of the season at the plate. Entering Monday’s game, Heim had RBIs (5 total RBIs) in all four starts and had a 1.177 OPS with two doubles and a homer for the span. It’s highest OPS (minimum 12 at-bats) for any four-game stretch this season.
“He’s really has done a great job,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “A tremendous job. He’s swinging the bat well from both sides of the plate. He’s played some of the best baseball he’s played.”
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The Rangers have used Heim and Higashioka in basically equal amounts for most of the season. Over the second half of last year, with Heim’s offensive production down, he split time equally with trade acquisition Carson Kelly.
This stretch was necessitated because Higashioka, who had been hot at the plate himself, was unavailable for much of the last week after departing Tuesday’s game with a hamstring issue. The Rangers didn’t think it serious enough to lose him for 10 days to an IL stint, but also knew he’d be unavailable for close to a week. Not having a viable option at Triple-A Round Rock also factored into the decision. The Rangers have been without a real third option since Tucker Barnhart was released in June.
Higashioka did run on Monday without issue. He is expected to start Tuesday’s game behind the plate against lefty Yusei Kikuchi. Higashioka said he felt significantly better.
“I definitely needed this time,” said Higashioka, who was hitting .362 with a .963 OPS in 13 July games before the injury. “I think it was worth it to be able to keep me off the IL. But I’m ready to go.”
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