Major League Baseball

Rangers drop veterans Kevin Kouzmanoff, J.P. Arencibia from roster

Published Oct. 6, 2014 9:51 p.m. ET

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Infielder Kevin Kouzmanoff and first baseman J.P. Arencibia were among six players the Texas Rangers assigned outright to Triple-A Round Rock on Monday.

Kouzmanoff and Arencibia, also a catcher, both have the right to decline the assignments and become free agents.

The Rangers also lost left-hander Joseph Ortiz to the Chicago Cubs on a waiver claim.

Kouzmanoff, outfielder Engel Beltre and left-hander Pedro Figueroa were reinstated from the 60-day disabled list and assigned outright to Round Rock, along with Arencibia, right-hander Wilmer Font and infielder Guilder Rodriguez.

Arencibia, Ortiz and Rodriguez had been on the 40-man roster.

The Rangers now have 37 players on their 40-man roster. Yu Darvish, Shin-Soo Choo, Prince Fielder, Martin Perez and Matt Harrison are among players who will still have to be added back to the roster this offseason when they come off the 60-day disabled list.

Kouzmanoff batted .362 with 2 homers and 10 RBI in 13 games with the Rangers before having back surgery in both May and July. Arencibia hit .177 with 10 home runs and 35 RBI in 63 games after an early-season demotion to Round Rock.

Ortiz, who made his major league debut with Texas in 2013, opened the season on the 60-day disabled list due to a broken left foot. He was reinstated from the disabled list and optioned to Double-A Frisco on July 25 and did not pitch for the Rangers this season.

Beltre was on the 60-day disabled list the entire 2014 season due to surgeries on both legs. Figueroa made 10 appearances for Texas this season before having Tommy John ligament replacement surgery in his left elbow on April 30.

Font, who did not pitch for Texas this season and had right elbow surgery to remove a bone spur in August, was designated for assignment on Thursday when the club received right-handed pitcher Alfredo Figaro from Milwaukee on a waiver claim.

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