Could Sam Haggerty provide the right-handed bat the Texas Rangers have been looking for?

SURPRISE, Ariz. – The Rangers have spent the offseason looking for a bargain right-handed bat capable of playing the outfield and serving as a hedge against opponents going to left-handed relievers late in games.

On his “new ankle,” Sam Haggerty should not be overlooked in that role.

Haggerty, who turns 32 in May, sparked the Rangers offense as part of an outfield platoon for much of the summer before two ankle injuries, which eventually led to surgery, scuttled his season. Despite it, Haggerty still hit .318 with an .812 OPS against lefties for 182 plate appearances.

When the Rangers showed some late-season life, Haggerty tried to come back from the second bout of ankle inflammation, but 10 days of a rehab assignment only reaffirmed what was necessary: A second ankle surgery in a two-year span.

Rangers

Haggerty, who ruptured his right Achilles tendon in 2024, underwent a debridement procedure to remove a cyst and “extensive” scar tissue on his left ankle on Sept. 24. He spent the winter rehabbing, but is fully cleared to participate in camp.

“I feel like when they say ‘extensive,’ in medical terminology that means a lot,” Haggerty said. “It started to creep up in June and I tried to play through it. Nobody feels great as the season goes on and you fight through, but you try to manage it with pain relievers and whatever else. But now I’ve got a new ankle and I’m ready to go.”

His ankles are a huge part of his game. In addition to hitting lefties, he’s an above-average base runner. For his career he is 45 of 52 (86.5%) on stolen base attempts. Among active players with at least 50 steal attempts, he has the ninth-best success rate. As the ankle situation flared, though, his success rate went down. From his callup in May until mid-June, he was 5 for 6, but went just 7 for 10 after.

Rangers manager Skip Schumaker has said he would like his team to be aggressive and confident on the bases this coming year.

Haggerty and Michael Helman stand to be the Rangers’ most likely candidates to back up Evan Carter in the outfield, whether he winds up in center or left. Helman had a very hot stretch in late July and August, but tailed off badly in September. And he was more effective against right-handers than lefties. He had only a .174 batting average and .638 OPS against lefties. One of them is likely to fall short of the roster, particularly if the Rangers find a way to keep DH-OF Mark Canha, who could be a late-game pinch hit option and occasional corner outfielder.

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