ARLINGTON — Less than a week after his major league debut, Texas Rangers infielder Cody Freeman has taken on another role as the team’s backup catcher.
The Rangers have two catchers on their 40-man roster: Jonah Heim and Kyle Higashioka. Higashioka’s hamstring tightened up after he hit a two-out single in the bottom of the seventh inning on Tuesday. He was replaced behind the plate by Heim in the eighth.
Manager Bruce Bochy said Higashioka suffered half of a Grade 1 strain in the 6-2 win against the Athletics, making Heim the starter and Freeman the backup in the series finale Wednesday.
“He’s getting some time behind the plate,” Bochy said of Freeman. “Caught a bullpen today just to get the cobwebs out. If something happens, he would be our catcher.”
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Freeman, who caught in the minor leagues, said he wasn’t too surprised when he got the news.
“I saw it coming, and I’m ready,” Freeman said. “I’m ready for the challenge.”
Last year in Double-A, Freeman said he dealt with the same situation. One of the catchers went down and he had to catch a bullpen the next day to be ready. The last time he caught in a game was 2023.
“I’m aware of situations that could happen like trades, injuries,” Freeman said. “Just always having it in the back pocket, so I’ve never flushed it down the toilet. I’ve always had it.”
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