By Steve Hunt
FOXSportsSouthwest.com
February 21, 2011
Injuries are a fact of life in any sport and Major League Baseball is no different. Last year, as the Rangers made a run to what would eventually be the club's first-ever trip to the World Series, Ron Washington and company definitely had to contend with more than their fair share of guys on the disabled list. So, as they head into the 2011 season, there are definitely injury concerns. Here's a look at the top five.
Nelson Cruz's Hamstring
Big Nellie had several stints on the Disabled List in 2010 and they were all because of hamstring issues. When he was healthy, which was for 108 games, he did hit .318 with 22 HR, 78 RBI and also stole 17 bases. Still, he did miss one-third of the season because of said ailments and that was a big concern for the Rangers in 2010. Super sub David Murphy stepped right in and performed well during Cruz's various absences but no doubt about it, if the Rangers are going to have any realistic chance of returning to the playoffs, they will need Cruz's hamstrings to not be a factor in '11. During Ranger Fan Fest in January, Nellie talked about all the off-season work he'd been doing with Darren O'Day's brother, a certified personal trainer. Hopefully that work pays huge dividends and Cruz's hammy becomes a non-factor this season. Should Nellie remain healthy, there isn't any reason he couldn't be a 40-home run and 100-RBI guy, numbers that would ensure a return to the All-Star Game.
Josh Hamilton
Sure, Hambone stayed healthy for the most part in 2010 but did miss much of the final month of the season. The Rangers had all but wrapped up their first division title since 1999 but still, Hamilton was out of the mix for much of September. He did return for the playoffs and was basically his old self but injury concerns will always be there for Hambone for several reasons. First of all, he has a history of being injured in his relatively short career in the big leagues and secondly, his full-throttle style of play in the outfield where he goes all out with little to no regard for his own safety as in running into outfield walls is another potential culprit in him spending time on the Ranger disabled list at some point in 2011. But he's still the reigning AL MVP and if he can stay healthy, figures to be a key component of any success the Rangers have in 2011.
Ian Kinsler
During his big-league career, Kinsler has had a variety of injuries. Even in 2010, he contended with an ankle injury early in the season that saw him miss the first few weeks of the season and he also had a second stint on the DL later in the year for a groin injury. Ranger fans have almost come to accept that Ian will be on the disabled list at least once during the year. It's only a question of for how long he will remain there? While the club does have better cover behind Kinsler in the versatile Michael Young, the ideal scenario would see Young only spell Kinsler on an occasional basis instead of being the Rangers' everyday second sacker should his good buddy and fellow all-star be on the shelf for any significant period of time.
Alexi Ogando's Oblique
Losing the left-handed Ogando in the early part of the 2010 World Series hamstrung an already depleted Ranger bullpen. And the good news is that oblique injuries usually only need rest and are rarely of a recurring nature. Alexi got plenty of rest this winter and should be ready to roll. But fans and media types alike hope his injury last fall wasn't a hint of things to come. Now that Frank Francisco is in Toronto, having a healthy Ogando will be crucial to the 2011 Ranger bullpen replicating the success they had in 2010. He could very well be the key to any success the Ranger relievers have in 2011. He's just that important to the composition of this bullpen.
Brandon Webb's Shoulder
As it stands right now, it looks like Webb most likely will not be up to speed literally by the time the Rangers hit opening day in early April against the BoSox. The ex-Kentucky Wildcat has been slow to fully recover from the shoulder surgery he had in the 2009 season and pitched in just one game last year for Arizona. It looks like the biggest issue with Webb is that he is still struggling to find the velocity on his heater that he had before the injury, when he won the National League Cy Young Award with the D-Backs. If indeed Webb isn't ready, it could set off a domino effect in the rotation. The likely scenario sees Neftali Feliz, the reigning American League Rookie of the Year, moving from closer to being a starter, which of course would create a vacancy at closer. Ranger GM Jon Daniels has already said if his club needs a new closer that they will look elsewhere.
