Major League Baseball

Rangers' Fielder misses 3rd game in row, plans to play Wednesday

Published May. 20, 2014 5:29 p.m. ET

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ARLINGTON, Texas — Prince Fielder has a new consecutive games streak: Three in row being out of the Texas Rangers' starting lineup.

Fielder was listed on the original lineup posted before Tuesday night's game against Seattle. But the first baseman, who was given an injection Saturday to treat a herniated disk in his neck, was scratched more than three hours before first pitch after taking some swings in the batting cage.

''I mean, I'm doing all right. Just my arm feels a little weak still. Not too much pain. Just feels a little weak,'' Fielder said. ''Not too concerned now because there's nothing I can do right now besides give it the extra day.''

Fielder, who before Saturday had the longest active streak in the majors playing in 547 consecutive games, said he plans to play Wednesday against the Mariners.

General manager Jon Daniels said he is hopeful the extra day would be beneficial.

''I've had my hopes dashed before on the medical side, so we'll see,'' said Daniels, describing his level of concern for Fielder as ''medium.''

The Rangers, with a major league-high 13 players on the disabled list, also scratched center fielder Leonys Martin from the lineup. Manager Ron Washington said Martin felt stiffness in his neck when he woke up Tuesday morning.

Also Tuesday, struggling catcher J.P. Arencibia was sent to Round Rock and Texas selected the contract of catcher Chris Gimenez from its Triple-A affiliate. Arencibia, the club's opening day catcher, is hitting .133 with one home run with six RBI in 20 games.

Fielder had been listed fifth as the designated hitter, but in the revised lineup right fielder Alex Rios was fifth and Michael Choice was the DH batting seventh. Daniel Robertson took over for Martin in center field and in the leadoff spot.

Fielder, acquired over the winter from Detroit in a trade for Ian Kinsler and signed through 2020, has hit .247 with three home runs and 16 RBI in 42 games this season.

'' I'm not sure when the disk happened. I noticed it's been sore for a while,'' Fielder said. ''This year, it's been really sore.''

Fielder dismissed the idea that the neck issue is the reason for his numbers being down, and also strongly insisted that wanting to get back into the lineup as soon as possible has nothing to do with a four-game series at Detroit that starts Thursday.

Arencibia signed a $1.8 million, one-year contract last winter after hitting .194 with 21 homers in a career-high 138 games this year for Toronto. He was expected to be the primary backup for Geovany Soto, who suffered a knee injury at the end of the spring training and is still on the disabled list.

Robinson Chirinos has been the catcher more often recently, starting for the 18th time in 26 games Tuesday night.

''Obviously I haven't had the numbers and haven't done what I needed to do, so there's no one to blame except for myself,'' Arencibia said. ''There's no hard feelings. I'm just going down there, work hard and do what I need to do to get back.''

Daniels said Arencibia had a good work ethic but that it was going to be hard to make necessary adjustments to be productive while playing only sparingly.

''Maybe this gives him an opportunity to do that,'' Daniels said.

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