Major League Baseball

Rangers put Cruz on DL with hamstring problem

Published Apr. 28, 2010 12:37 a.m. ET

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Texas Rangers right fielder Nelson Cruz was put on the 15-day disabled list Tuesday, a day after he reaggravated his strained right hamstring and had to come out of a game early for the third time in a week.

Manager Ron Washington said Cruz had ``only a first-degree strain'' but was very sore. Washington said the slugger was going to have to miss at least five to seven games and the DL move was made because the Rangers couldn't afford to be short on the bench that long.

``It's hard to be out there and you can't complete any games,'' Cruz said. ``Sometimes you want to run, you want to steal some bases or make some plays, and you aren't allowed to do it 100 percent.''

The Rangers later optioned struggling catcher Taylor Teagarden (.037 batting average, 1 for 27 with 17 strikeouts in 10 games) to Triple-A Oklahoma City and recalled catcher Max Ramirez. Jarrod Saltalamacchia (upper back stiffness), the starting catcher on opening day, was activated from the 15-day DL and optioned to Oklahoma City, where he had already played six games on a rehab assignment.

``We've struggled at that position in the early going here, and want to give Taylor an opportunity to go down and get himself right,'' general manager Jon Daniels said. ``We explained to Jarrod, now that he's healthy, we just want to see him go down there and play, get consistent reps, consistent at-bats.''

Vladimir Guerrero started in right field instead of designated hitter for the first time this season Tuesday night against the Chicago White Sox. Right-hander Ryan Garko was the DH against White Sox left-handed starter Mark Buehrle.

Matt Treanor, called up April 9 after being acquired from Milwaukee in a trade during spring training, started at catcher for the sixth time in nine games.

The Rangers also recalled outfielder Craig Gentry from Oklahoma City. Gentry started in center field against Chicago.

Cruz, an All-Star who hit 33 home runs in his full major league season last year, is hitting .328 this season and is second in the majors with seven home runs. He has 17 RBIs. The earliest he could return is May 12.

David Murphy, a left-handed hitter not in the lineup Tuesday night, will get most of the time in right field against right-handers. Murphy had a two-run double and a run-saving catch Monday night after replacing Cruz, who tweaked his injury when he scored on a wild pitch in the fifth inning in the finale of four-game series against Detroit.

``Yesterday I felt great. Even when I went from first to second, I was normal,'' Cruz said. ``When I took off to home plate and made that quick move, that's when I felt it. It was worse than what I did before.''

Cruz indicated after Monday night's game that he was feeling better, but said an X-ray Tuesday showed fluid in the affected area.

Cruz left the first two games of the team's series in Boston last week when his hamstring tightened up, then was the DH for the series finale Thursday. He didn't play Friday night in the series opener against the Tigers.

Guerrero signed with the Rangers after the Los Angeles Angels showed little interest in retaining the eight-time All-Star and former American League MVP after he had two stints on the disabled list last season for a torn right pectoral muscle and strained left knee. He hit .371 with two homers, 13 RBIs and three stolen bases in his first 18 games for Texas.

``I feel good. I feel great,'' Guerrero said in the clubhouse before Tuesday's game. ``I've been feeling fine since the beginning of spring training.''

Washington said he put Guerrero in the outfield with the stipulations of no diving catches and to just get the ball to the cutoff man if it got past him. Then the manager indicated he was partially joking.

``The one thing I badly don't want to do is hurt Vlad,'' Washington said. ``Now I can't control his reactions. It's just a running joke. He's a pro.''

Washington said the loss of Cruz wouldn't accelerate the return of second baseman Ian Kinsler, who Tuesday played the second of three rehabilitation games at Double-A Frisco. Kinsler has been on the disabled list since spraining his right ankle during spring training.

``We have a plan with Kinsler, we want to finish the process,'' Washington said. ``We're not going to push him. He has two more days to play. He is going to play two more days.''

If there are no setbacks, Kinsler will be activated before Friday night's game in Seattle.

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