ARLINGTON — The Texas Rangers could land an offensive reinforcement before the trade deadline.
Designated hitter Joc Pederson (fractured hand) took live batting practice Tuesday and Wednesday at Globe Life Field and will next join Double-A Frisco in Wichita, Kan., for a minor league rehab assignment.
Pederson said Wednesday that his hand, which was broken by a pitch in a May 24 game against the Chicago White Sox, feels fine and that the live bullpen sessions were the last medical boxes that he needed to check.
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Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said that it’s still unclear how many at-bats Pederson will need before his activation but acknowledged that it’s possible he can rejoin the team on the next road trip to Los Angeles. The RoughRiders will play at Wichita through Sunday and the Rangers begin their series against the Angels on Monday.
“I will say,” Bochy said, “he’s been looking real good.”
Outfielder Sam Haggerty, who also took live batting practice Tuesday and Wednesday, is expected to be activated off the injured list before Friday’s series opener vs. the Atlanta Braves. He hasn’t played in the second half because of ankle inflammation but said Wednesday that he feels “good to go” after hitting and sprinting.
Pederson was one of baseball’s worst qualified hitters before his injury. He slashed .131/.269/.238 with just two home runs in his first 46 games this season and at one point held the franchise record for longest hitless streak.
Bochy said Tuesday that Pederson “just has a different look” about him compared to where he was at before his injury. The Rangers will reinsert Pederson into a lineup that has been one of baseball’s best for the last month-and-a-half as it plows through a critical stretch of the season. The Rangers have scored the fifth-most runs in baseball (217) since June 1 despite a rotating cast at designated hitter.
“When you’re grinding, the mental load is a lot in this game and the stress that comes with it,” Pederson said. “Getting hurt sucks, but part of being a professional is making the best of situations that you don’t get a say in. Part of that was recovering mentally and getting in a better spot — mentally and physically — to try to help the team win.”
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